THIS is where I begin to make characters far too much like me :) so enjoy this kind of filler chapter where we learn a bit about James <3 also, for any other autistic people. There'll be talk of an autistic shutdown/ meltdown in this chapter. Just thought I'd mention it because I know personally, sometimes reading it or anything like that can trigger it in me :) next chapter will be a part 2 to this one.
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"Mr Potter, are you listening?"
"Hm? Yeah sure."
Binns gave him a disapproving look and went back to teaching.
"You alright mate?" Sirius asked, clearly concerned.
"Huh? Oh yeah im okay."
"You promise?"
"Promise."
James was absolutely not okay. Like, at all. Something they served at breakfast smelled funny and now he couldn't stop smelling it. Potions, the class he'd had prior to this one, was way too noisy. His socks weren't sitting right and his shoes felt too tight. His tie was practically choking him and the halls on the way here were way too crowded.
"James we have to do the work now mate." Sirius pointed out gently.
He was reaching the point where he could barely understand anything anyone was saying.
"Oh, what are we doing?"
Sirius began explaining, but James wasn't processing any of it. Sirius knew this of course, but James didn't want to be annoying and keep asking. This hadn't happened in a while.
"Binns also wrote it out on the board if you need."
"No it's fine, I get it now. Thanks mate."
A blatant lie on James' part, but Sirius didn't want to push it. He knew James hated feeling like a nuisance. He'd give it a minute before he asked if he was okay again.
James stared down at the text book filled with the questions he needed to answer. But he couldn't read it.
Well, he could read it, no issue. But he couldn't understand the sentences. He was just staring. Trying his best to make the instructions sink in.
He tried looking at the board, the same thing happening. He couldn't process any of it. He was shutting down now. Leading up to the inevitable meltdown.
James was freaking out now. This feeling would never get any less scary. He began tapping his pencil quickly on the table now.
"Shut up!" Someone at the back of the room whisper shouted.
He started playing with the parchment now.
"Mr Potter, if you continue being disruptive I'll be forced to send you out."
He's shaking now.
"Sirius."
"I know James it's okay. We only have 20 minutes until lunch." He said, trying to reassure his best friend.
James could hear too much now. Too many people moving. Too many noises.
The clock ticking.
The noise of people's robes swishing.
People whispering.
Quills on the parchment.
Pencils moving.
People fidgeting.
Loud noises in the hall.
It's okay talk to Sirius. Distract yourself.
"You wanna prank Snape later?"
Sirius knew what was happening.
"Yeah of course! Did you see the look on his face last time?" He played along.
It was working.
"His face went so red. It looked like steam was about to come out of his ears."
"Mr Potter, what did I say?" Binns complained.
Stupid old ghost.
"How long do you think he's been knocking about for." Sirius whispered to James.
"Like a thousand odd years? He looks like he could've been mates with Merlin."
Fuck, it's not helping.
James went quiet now.
"It's okay James. Forget about the work. It's only history of magic. We can catch up another day."
"Okay." He whispered.
"I think you're right you know James. He looks like he was knocking around with that muggle bloke, Jesus was it?"
That got James laughing.
"I reckon the old fucks been knocking around since the dawn of time!" James joked... a bit too loud.
"MR POTTER! DETENTION! I'LL SEE YOU AFTER CLASS!" Binns yelled.
That was the absolute limit for James.
He pushed his stool back knocking it over in the process. Storming out of class.
"Dickhead!" Sirius barked at Binns, chasing after James.
James was quick. No doubt long gone by now. So Sirius got to looking.
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Across the school, James had run into the first familiar room he saw. One of the communal common rooms.
And from there on out, started beating the shit out of every inanimate object he saw.
He flipped a table, ripped pillows, shoved a sofa across the room. He knocked the armchairs over. Smashed a lamp and broke some odd things made of glass.
"Oh." Somebody said from the entryway, sounding a little bit shocked.
James didn't look to see who it was. When he was in this state, he well and truly didn't care.
He didn't stop destroying things.
"Hey, hey calm down."
He punched the wall.
"Right, now that had to have hurt."
He smashed a vase.
James managed to throw a random book straight through one of the windows before this random person grabbed him, stopping him from destroying anything else.
James fought the persons grip as much as he could, before sinking down to the floor in tears.
"I can't breathe." James managed to choke out between a strangled sob.
"I know, I know. Focus on my breathing, alright?."
"Okay."
They sat there for a while, James clinging onto this random boy tightly while he calmed down.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, yeah I think so."
James turned to see who this person was now.
Of course, it was the least likely person anybody in the whole wide world would expect to be helping James potter.
James just sat there in shock, staring at the boy.
Regulus Black.
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Autumn Leaves- marylily
Fanfiction'But I'll miss you most of all, my darling, when autumn leaves start to fall.' In which two girls decide that they do not, in fact hate each other. loathing, to love, to loss. (All characters except my oc's are owned by JK Rowling) please excuse any...
