Disclaimer: Not mine and never was unfortunately.
James Meet JamesChapter 1
AU James' POV
"Do I know you?" The lanky teen in front of me asked. His voice reminded me of someone, but I couldn't quite pin it down. He had hazel eyes, you know that kind that remind you of a cat, and a messy mop of jet black hair. I remember when mine used to look like that before I grew it out. And I've never seen someone with his eyes... well, other than me anyway. I didn't think I'd ever meet someone who had the same eye color as me. It's really uncommon around where I grew up. Most just have a bland brown or some shade of blue or green.
"No possible way you could." But strangely, not only is his voice familiar, he does look familiar as well. But, it still isn't possible since I just got here. Maybe he's one of the kids that went to my old school... Er... at least what would be his equivalent to it in this world in this world.
"Why's that?" He cocked his head to the side slightly in curiosity, crossing his arms over his chest as he did so. Man, I was hoping to get off easy. No one's ever really paid any attention to me before. They all sort of just pretended I didn't exist if it was at all possible.
"Trust me. It just isn't possible," I shrugged not ready to place my trust in him just yet. I know what I had done just had to be illegal. I mean, hopping worlds? IT had to be majorly illegal. Up there with killing someone I'd suspect.
"Are you sure we haven't met before?" He narrowed his eyes with a look of suspicion. Maybe I just should have said a simple yes rather than make it obvious I was hiding something. I guess I just wanted to tell him, or anyone for that matter. I've been alone for so long, I guess my subconscious is making up my mind for me whether I agree with its decisions or not. Well, Damn. This won't be easy if my own mind is working against me.
"Can't get any more positive." I might have met his double along the way, but I haven't been in this world long enough to have run into him before. I only got here a few minutes ago like I said. He's the first person I've seen so far. Maybe I remind him of a kid at his school, or perhaps even a brother or cousin.
"So why the bloody hell do you remind me of someone?!" Like I'm supposed to be able to answer that for him?! He's been here longer, or at least I would assume so. He's supposed to be the expert around here.
And so, I asked him, "and I should know the answer to that how?" This kid was strange, but he did look like someone I knew which is why I guess I'm still standing here talking to him, rather than working on trying to find a place to stay for the night or something to eat. I could really go for a cheeseburger or something right about now. Almost anything would be good. I haven't eaten anything since yesterday morning. Hey! Don't look at me like that. When you're a teenage boy, even two hours can seem like a lifetime. More than twenty-four hours is like an eon.
"How the bloody hell should I know!?" I suppressed a smirk. He seems to have the same temperament as I do. Neither of us seem to like things left unexplained. Rather than give up on something, we get frustrated and try harder... or at least that's what I do. I'm not positive about him yet. He countered my glare with one of his own.
Of course neither knew how much like the other it looked. Neither spent much time at the mirror glaring at themselves to know how much of a mirror image the two made. Besides what was the point of a mirror when your hair never did anything you wanted it to anyway? It constantly looked like you had just rolled out of bed no matter what you did to it.
"You still look familiar" he muttered leaning back against the brick wall of the alleyway. I can't believe that he's still on about that! He must have a one track mind or just be very stubborn. Again he sorta reminds me of me. It's kinda freaking me out now, giving me a chill up my spine.
"I'm Sorry!!! I CAN'T help that, you bloody mental case! Would you like me to learn how to change the way I look just so that your poor over taxed mind can have a rest?!" I hope he doesn't take it too personally. I don't really want to make an enemy of him, but it's frustrating to be asked the same question repeatedly that you don't know the answer to. It isn't as if I can read his mind and flip through some photo album of every person he's ever seen.
"MENTAL CASE?!" He looked pissed. Oops. I think he took it personally. Oh well. I can't exactly take it back. Maybe I should have read a bit more about those memory charms in my Dad's old school books.
"Yes. Mental Case." I said it as though I were merely commenting on the weather. He probably really isn't one but he's acting like it obsessing on like that about how I look. He's acting way too obsessive compulsive. Maybe he has that disorder. Oh shit. If he does then it really isn't fair of me to yell at him like that and call him a, a mental case. He'd probably be really sensitive about that. But, I'm sure there are lots of kids around with black hair and glasses.
He glared at me again and I glared right back. I can't help thinking that I've seen that look somewhere before.
"You are right, though. You do remind me of someone, but like I said there is no possible way I've ever met you." I hoped my concession would calm him back down a little. Maybe get us on even ground again. It seemed to work since he visibly relaxed, the tension leaving his shoulders and his jaw unclenching.
"Who are you?" I blinked. If we had be younger we probably would have tried jinxing the other because we said the same thing at the exact same time. Good thing neither of us seem to be that immature. If he had done the one where he had to say my name in order for me to speak again, that would have been a pain since he doesn't know it and none of my stuff says it.
"I asked you first." 'Jinx' I chuckled mentally, outwardly keeping a straight face.
"Fine." Alright just stop it now! STOP! It's like we're twins or something. It's beginning to freak me out since I've never met this kid before. Maybe... no... Not possible. Not in a million years. That'd just be to freaky if I just happened to run into myself first after hopping worlds.
"On the count of three," I suggested and began ticking off the numbers on my fingers once he agreed.
"James Potter." We both burst out with it. Rather than give each other what must have been identical glares, we gave each other identical looks of shock. Well, no I guess I knew where I saw that look before. My own mirror after I had changed my hair. I had been so angry with my adoptive parents. I hadn't anticipated this happening.
"Wait. Who are you really?" Why me? Why did I have to run into me?
"Aw, Bloody hell. Figures I'd end up meeting you." It would just figure that I'd hop into a different dimension and that the first person I meet is me. Lady Lucky never did seem to like me. She must not have changed her mind about me.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he tilted his head again, giving me an odd look. Perhaps he isn't a wizard and would think I'm a mental case if I tried to explain it to him.
"Forget about it." He won't. If he's anything like me, that is. Bloody hell he is me.
"Like hell I will." Like I said, told you he wouldn't.
I groaned in defeat. If he's anything like me and he's gotta be. I mean he is me. And yeah I know I just said that, but man, this has thrown me for a loop. He'll never drop it. "I was afraid of that."
"So explain already." He's impatient like me, too. Not just stubborn. I wonder how alike we really are. I know if we were closes it would be possible for us to be completely different, but is it possible to be completely different if you are the same person?
"I would if you'd just sit down and stop looking at me like that!" I hate it when they look at me like that.
"Like what?!" I could tell he didn't mean to. He looked so lost after I mentioned it, but still. I hate that look.
"Like I'm some freak in a zoo," I murmured not daring to look at him. Instead I found a rather interesting stone at my feet that I nudged a bit with the toe of my shoe
"Oh, sorry. I, uh, didn't mean to." I didn't think he had, but it still bothers me. This is probably a nasty shock for him as well. I doubt it's every day he meets himself from another dimension.
"Forget about it," I brushed the feeling aside and decided to get back onto topic.
"I will not!" I think he lost my train of thought. He's probably back on about who I am.
"Not about That! I mean about that look," I laughed causing him to scowl at me.
"Oh." I watch as he hunkers down onto a nearby crate and simply waits for me to explain things.
"Have you ever heard of there being different dimensions in the galaxy?" Wonder if he's a wizard like I am.
"Yeah there are millions of them. Why?" Well, if he knows about dimensions then he probably is one... or a very open minded Muggle.
"Because I come from one of them. Not this one. That's why I said it wasn't possible for you to have met me before," I smiled when I saw the light of understanding dawn in his eyes.
"So, how'd you get here?" He leaned forward slightly becoming interested in my story. It's odd to have some one finally paying me any kind of attention that I actually wanted.
"I found a spell." It took forever too! It's damn hard to have anything to do with the wizarding world when you're stuck with Muggles who insist that magic doesn't exist and therefore won't take you to The Leaky Cauldron 'cause they can't see it. It never mattered to them that I could.
"So you're me and still a wizard?" He's gotta be one, then. He said still. Good. That makes things simpler to deal with.
"Yeah."
"Why'd you wanna come here?" Why the hell wouldn't I wanna get away from those Muggles?! Maybe he doesn't live with them here.
"Because my life sucks." I might as well be blunt.
"Aren't Mum and Dad nice to you?" They were before Voldemort got to them. I wonder if he's one of those eejits who refuses to say his name and think that if you do he'll hear you and come and get you.
"Mum and Dad died when I was three. I have no family left." The loss still hurt. They didn't deserve to die. Well, not many people do, but especially not them. They were always so nice.
"Voldemort?" I nodded. Good he isn't one of those eejits. He continued talking. "So who do you stay with?"
"Muggles."
"That sucks." I snorted in reply. He doesn't know how much.
"You're telling me. They hate me! That's why I came here. I'm never going back, y'know? So don't bother trying to talk me into it."
"You gonna stay in this dimension?" I'm not sure if I imagined it or not, but I thought for a second he looked hopeful.
"If I like it. If not I'll keep looking till I find one I like," I shrugged noncommittally. I didn't really have any plans made exactly for once I got out of my dimension. I hadn't thought that far ahead.
"I'm sure Mum and Dad would let you stay with us. I mean in a weird way you are family." He smiled at me as if he really meant it. Maybe Lady Luck feels sorry for giving me such a rotten hand. Maybe she finally changed her mind and decided to have pity on me.
"Think so?" I miss Mum and Dad. I wonder if they're like what I remember. They loved me. No one does now...
"Only one way to find out!" He jumped up, nearly smacking his head on the fire escape, excitement dancing in his eyes.
We grinned at each other and our grins widened when we realized just how much we really do look like each other now that we thought about it. Only thing that's different really it seems are our clothes and our hair.
"So, if you're me, what's with the long hair? I can't get my hair to look any way that isn't like this."
"You mean like you were just walking through the middle of a windstorm?"
We grinned at each other because we both knew it was true and there's nothing that can be done about it. My hair is actually the same way his is, but I figured out a spell to make it grow so that I could stick it back in a ponytail so that the Muggles would stop insisting that I brush my hair as if that would help. I wish. Only thing a brush or comb does is make it soft and fluffy. Not anything I want it to be. I'll stick with finger combing it, thank you very much.
"Yeah."
"I put a spell on it to make it grow longer so that the Muggles would leave me alone about it. The kept insisting that I just never brushed it and then grounded me."
"Take it off." Huh?
"Why?"
"Just think of the possibilities." For pranking?
We grinned wickedly at each other as I undid the complicated spell. It's gotta be complicated to work on my hair. Looking at him really is like looking at a mirror especially with my hair back to normal. He seems to think so, too. His grin starts to widen. I bet he's thinking of all the possibilities we have open to us for pranks. He seems like the type that would enjoy them. I haven't done all that many, but I think I could get into them rather easily.
TBC...