So I was gonna wait another week to post this...but I got almost 1,000 views in one day! So I got excited and had to update! Yay!

Anyway! In this chapter, You will see Harry's first meltdown. This one is not a violent meltdown, but it is very similar to meltdowns I have experienced myself! I also want to say I hope Harry's though process are not to hard to understand!

I have also decided on either a Gray/Independent Harry, or Dark Harry. I'm not sure which yet. I just don't think the light would truly understand him as far as my story goes.

It's also been made official that Severus will be kind to Harry! I have yet to decide if it will just be Mentor!Severus or Severus Adopting Harry...SO YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!

Now, On To The Chapter!

Disclaimer: Me. Own. Nada. Duh.

Chapter 5

The next morning, Harry awoke long before the other boys in his dorm. Living in the same room with 5 other boys, he was quite worried that his morning routine would be messed up.

Crawling out of bed at exactly 5:15, Harry grabbed the clothes he had laid out the night before and made his way quietly out of the room. After showing and dressing, Harry checked himself over in the mirror to assure that there were no wrinkles in his clothes before making his way down to the common room.

Sighing at the site of the empty common room, Harry smiled to himself and made his way over to the bookcase closest to him. After scanning the shelves, he settled on picking up a book on beginner Potions. He could tell his Head of House was very passionate on the subject and knew that lack of appropriate knowledge on the subject would be looked down upon.

Looking around the room, Harry found a corner farthest away from the other fireplaces. Making his over, Harry sat down in the corner with his legs crossed and opened the book on his lap. Losing himself in the text, Harry paid no mind to the fact that he had begun to rock back and forth at some point. The soothing gesture was something he had not done in a few months, but Harry's nerves were strung tight with all the changes to his life.

Footsteps sounded in the dorm hallway, but Harry's focus was not broken in the slightest. He continued reading the Potions text, and noting information that was not in the books he had been assigned for this school year. If there was one thing Harry always made sure of, it's that he was prepared. Surprises were not a welcome occurrence to Harry.

"Harry?" Harry's head shot up at the soft voice. White blond hair caught his eye and he finally noticed a sleepy looking Draco standing a few feet away from where he was sat on the floor.

"Hullo, Draco." Harry nodded to the blond boy, noticing that Draco to was dressed and ready for the day.

"What are you doing up this early? And why are you sat on the floor in the corner?"

Having noticed his rocking the minute he saw Draco, Harry silently thanked his new friend for not mentioning the odd habit.

"I always get up this early, and I like sitting in corners. You can see everything around you that way." Harry blushed, remembering his cousin and his friend's attempts to sneak up on him back on Privet Drive.

"Oh. I guess you make a good point." Draco nodded, looking thoughtful. Wincing slightly, Draco sat down next to Harry with his back against the wall.

"May I ask what you are reading?"

"Yes, you may." Harry stared at Draco, waiting for the question to come.

"What are you reading Harry?" Draco asked again, frowning.

"It's a potions text. I thought I would do some extra revision so that Professor Snape will not get mad if I answer a question wrong." Harry softly closed the book, half wishing he had his quiet reading time back and half happy that his friend wanted to talk to him.

"You like books, don't you?" Draco asked, sneering at the book Harry held in his hand.

"Yes. Books are based in facts. They allow for more informed and accurate knowledge."

"Not everything in books are true, you know."

"Obviously. Each writer has a different idea of the world and what their experiences mean. Naturally, two different people experiencing the same thing will feel and think differently afterwards. That is why I read lots of books. The more information you can accumulate, the better an understanding you will have of the true answer." Harry rocked slightly as he began to talk about books. His love for information and knowledge really would have fit in well with the Ravenclaw house.

"Why do you like books so much? I find reading boring." Draco said, scrunching up his nose.

"Because if I read about something first, then I won't be surprised. I don't like surprises." Harry shook his head hard.

"Is that cause of what you told me on the train? The Atism thing?" Draco asked carefully, knowing it might very well be a touchy subject.

"It's called Autism. Really, I just have Asperger's Syndrome." Harry's voice lowered as he spoke, not use to talking to people about it. His teachers at school had known about him before he even stepped foot into the class room and Dudley had made sure all the kids know what a freak he was.

"Asperger's? Ok. Not to be rude Harry, but what does that mean?"

Harry thought to himself. His brain was spinning trying to figure out a way to explain what it meant to have Asperger's.

"Harry?" Draco looked concerned. "You don't have to answer if you do not want to. It was rude of me to ask. I'm sorry." Harry looked at Draco.

"No, I don't mind. It's just that…it's hard to explain. I guess, it means I'm different. Like, I'm really good at school. I love to read and have a really great memory. I love Science and Maths. But I'm really bad at making friends. I don't like surprises at all. Loud noises and screaming are no good either. I have to follow a routine every day. Plus, I get really upset when things change. When I can't explain what is going on in my head, I get really frustrated and I um…start crying and screaming. I can't control it. It's really embarrassing. Kids at school made fun of me a lot for it."

Harry looked down at his hands as he spoke, hoping Draco understood what he was trying to say.

"What horrid muggles. Mocking someone for something they chose is one thing. But something they have no control over? That's just cruel and evil." Draco burst out as soon as Harry was done talking. Harry jumped and quickly slapped his hands over his ears and started rocking.

"Bloody hell! I'm so sorry Harry!" Draco said softly, reaching forward to touch Harry's shoulder then thinking better of it and pulling his hand back.

"I'm sorry I yelled Harry. You just told me you didn't like it and here I am screaming. I'll be more careful from now on, I swear mate." Draco continued to sit as still as he could and talked quietly until Harry's rocking slowed and he pulled his hands away from his ears.

"It's ok, Draco. I know you didn't mean it." Harry whispered.

"Well since we are on the topic, is there anything else I should know? I would suck as a best mate if I was constantly making you scared and have meltdowns."

Harry's jaw dropped open. There were no thoughts in his head but a constant stream of the words "Best Mate". Harry started to shake his head. He didn't have friends. Everyone laughed at him. No one understood. Could this be a trick? Would Draco do that? Being friends was one thing, but best mate? Did Harry deserve this? He highly doubted it. Harry felt tears gather in his eyes and he loathed himself for how weak he was. One mention of a Best Mate and he was going to ball like the little baby Dudley and Uncle Vernon always said he was.

"Harry? What's wrong?" Draco panicked, scooting closer to the dark haired boy. Draco could see the tears gathering in Harry's eyes and wondered if he had said something wrong again.

"Best Mate?" Harry whimpered, shaking his head harder and beginning to rock again. Draco watched in horror and the book Harry had been holding fell to the floor. Harry pulled his knees to his chest and scooted farther back into the corner. Harry's eyes seemed to be focused on some point far off in the distance and Draco felt truly terrified for the first time in his eleven-year-old life.

"Harry? Harry?! What's wrong? Are you ok? Bloody hell! What do I do?" Draco whispered.

The portrait door to the common room opening had Draco looking toward the door only to have his attention brought back to Harry when the smaller boy whimpered and tried to scoot farther away from both Draco and the noise.

"Mr. Malfoy? What is the meaning of this?" Professor Snape's sharp voice cut through the air and Draco almost cried in relief. His Uncle Severus would know what to do!

"Uncle Sev! It's Harry! We were just talking I swear and then he started freaking out! I don't know what I said! I don't know what happened!" Draco rambled, rushing over to the older man. Severus put both of his hands on Draco's shoulders.

"Calm Draco. Panicking now will do nothing to help Mr. Potter." Severus stepped around Draco and knelt down by the boy. Severus knew all to well what had happened. Personally, Severus had been expecting a scene like this last night. That the boy had held his calm this long was a true testament to the child's strength.

"Mr. Potter." Severus said softly so as to hopefully avoid scaring the boy more. "Mr. Potter, I need you to calm down for me. I know you are stressed. Mr. Malfoy did not mean to say anything to frighten you. I think you know that. I need you to take a deep breath for me."

Severus remained a short distance away from the rocking boy, talking slowly and softly. He could feel Draco standing behind him, watching his new friend worriedly.

"Mr. Potter? Harry?" As soon as Severus said his name in that soft soothing voice, Harry made a noise in the back of his throat. Although his eyes were still squeezed shut, his hands pressed firmly over his ears, Severus saw this small noise as a sign of awareness.

"Harry, can you calm down for me? Draco is very worried about you. We wouldn't want him to worry would we?" Severus asked, inching forward and hoping the use of the one boy Harry seemed to have attached to would help him get through to the scared and stressed child. Damn Dumbledore! He had told the old fool this would happen! He had even shown that man the books clearly stating that a young child with Autism subjected to quick or drastic changes to their lifestyles would likely regress and be prone to frequent meltdowns and experience more severe symptoms. Did the man listen? Of course not! And now, Severus had to deal with the aftereffect that James Potter's son was experiencing.

"Harry? Listen to my voice. No one else is in the room. It's just me, you and Draco. You remember me from last night, correct? You told me you were looking at the books? Remember?"

Harry frowned, before he nodded slowly and jerkily, eyes still securely closed.

"Good. Then I'm sure a smart boy like you will remember that I'm your Head of House?" Another small nod, this time one eye squinted open, tentatively seeing if it would cause his brain to start spinning in the endless circles again.

"I'll tell you what that means, ok? It means that I'm in charge of your safety while you are at school here. I am here if you need to talk or get overwhelmed. It's my job to make sure you are happy and healthy here. Does that sound alright?" Severus cursed the gods that James Potter's son would end up Autistic. Someone wasn't playing fair. As ready as he had been to hate the spawn of his childhood tormentor, seeing the tiny, scared boy before him, he no longer saw James Potter. Potter had been arrogant, cocky, rude, and obnoxious. His son seemed to be the exact opposite. More like Lily than James, really. Severus smiled at that thought.

"Yes, sir." Came the quietest whisper from the boy that Severus had ever heard.

"Good job, Harry. You're much calmer now. Do you feel better?" Severus asked the boy.

"Is Draco mad at me?" The whisper seemed even quieter if that was even possible.

"Harry, why would Draco be mad at you? This was not your fault." Severus told the boy softly, but firmly. Severus had a feeling that this innocent boy had not had the best childhood. With the confidence stripped from the boy, the child Severus had observed in the Great Hall was gone, leaving behind a scared little boy in need of much help and care. And now it was Severus's job to provide that, as the boys Head of House.

"But I am a Freak. Only freaks have meltdowns like I do." For the entire world, Harry sounded like a frightened 5 year old, not an 11 year old.

"You are not a freak Harry!" Draco said from behind Severus. Severus froze, waiting to see if Draco speaking would send Harry back into a meltdown.

"You're still my friend, right Dray?" Harry spoke slightly louder, needing an answer from Draco.

"Of course! You scared me because I didn't know how to help you, but I'm still your friend! There is nothing wrong with you Harry! I don't care if you have Autism. I swear! I'll even make my Father be nice so you can come visit on holidays!"

Snape snickered to himself, trying to imagine Lucius's reaction when Draco requested that the Boy-Who-Lived come visit on winter and summer holidays. As tough of a man as Lucius presented himself as, Draco had his Father wrapped around his little finger and he knew it.

"You promise?" Harry said, his voice returning to a more normal volume and his hands slowly pulling away from his ears.

"Of Course Harry! A Malfoy never goes back on his word!" Draco sniffed.

"You're the best Draco." Harry whispered, a single tear running down his cheek.

"Well then, what do you boys say to an early breakfast? After you eat, I will take you on a tour of the castle so you will know where everything is. Sound good Harry?"

Harry nodded, still not quite sure what was going on. Two people being so nice to him was odd to Harry. Standing slowly and running his hand over his close to remove any wrinkles that had formed, Harry looked at the Professor before him. Making a split second decision, Harry walked forward and gave both Professor Snape and Draco a quick hug with a small thanks before he stepped back, cheeks flaming.

"You're very welcome, Mr. Potter." Severus said, clearing his throat.

"You're to cute Harry!" Draco laughed.

"I'm not! I'm 11 not 3! Babies are cute. I'm not a baby Draco." Harry crossed his arms and glared and Draco.

"If you are feeling well enough to disagree with Draco, let us make our way down to the Great Hall. As you boys are up at 6 a.m., I believe we should be the first ones there."

As they turned and followed their Professor out of the common room, Harry shot a sideways glance at the blond walking beside him. He still felt jumpy and anxious, but Harry knew in some part of his brain that the feelings wouldn't go away for a while. He knew coming here would be hard, but he had figured that anything was better than home. Looking at Draco once more, then to his Professor's back, Harry smiled. He had been right. He liked it here better, even if it was weird and scary, too.

And there it is! Chapter 5! Hope you liked it!

REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW! Please? :)

Girl With Asperger's