Sirius and Remus are beginning to suspect Harry has autism and are realizing James was autistic too.
Remus POV || Sixth Year
"Potter, stop all your fidgeting and pay attention!"
I wince as James goes still next to me, curling in on himself. It never, ever goes well when he is told to stop moving.
The DADA teacher moves on, and I sneak a look at James. He's tensing up and biting down on his thumb. I don't like it when he bites his hands, but he needs to calm himself down somehow.
On James' other side, Sirius looks pissed. I frantically shake my head at him, but he's stubborn. I sigh in exasperation as Sirius loudly swings his feet onto his desk and yawns excessively.
The professor sweeps over, crossing her arms. "Mr. Black, that's a detention for this evening!"
He cheekily grins. "Oh good! My favorite! I can't wait!"
James starts humming to himself and taking a little fidget cube out of his pocket. He actually Charmed the thing himself, to have all kinds of little buttons and switches.
Sirius' expression softens, and he quietly waves his wand in a familiar spell. I protectively scooch closer to James, also performing the same spell. We found one that makes teachers ignore us. It's pretty handy, especially when James needs to calm himself, or Sirius is in one of his depression bouts, or it's close to a full moon, or Peter is hiding something he stole.
Finally, the professor gives out the homework, and everyone leaves. Sirius has to stay behind to get the details of his detention, and Peter is.. actually I have no idea. I leave with James, and we both wait outside for Sirius and Peter.
James is still unusually quiet next to me, humming loudly now as he plays with his cube. Peter and Sirius come back, and I turn to them both, amused. "Pete, do I want to know?"
He grins. "Nothing bad. Just, uh... trying to talk to that one girl again."
Sirius rolls his eyes. "Or giving back something you stole. Prongs, we... where'd he go?"
We don't find James again until Sirius decides to look in the Owlery. There, in one of the windows, sits James. He's playing with his cube and humming the same tune, except even more loudly. One of his sleeves is in his mouth.
Sirius raises a finger to his lips. He understands James the most, given they live together now. I tug on his shoulder. "Hey, Sirius. Maybe we should leave him be."
Sirius shakes his head. "You're right. He clearly needs to be alone."
Hours later, James finds us again, when we're outside by our tree. It's a nice little spot by the lake. He seems much more relaxed than he did earlier, and he's happily skipping around again.
Sirius, Peter and I grin at each other when James excitedly launches into a monologue about the recent Transfiguration book he read. He's definitely okay, then. Most think he's a big jock and nothing else, but he's really quite smart.
After thirty minutes, James exhausts himself and flops down in the grass. Sirius jokes, "Man down."
I take James' book and open it up as the bespectacled deer lays quietly in the grass. "You must have a lot going on in your head lately, Prongs."
Peter jokes, "No wonder he's stressed, he must have more than one train of thought in his brain for once."
Sirius frowns. "It's not that, Wormtail. Something's going on, but like the noble git he is, he won't tell us."
James sits up, playing with his tie as he struggles to speak. Sometimes he can barely get his words out and it frustrates him to no end. "I...not...not...not on purpose. Can't...it won't...it won't..."
