✩ | 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯, 𝘉𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦

The common room was silent, only the sound of rain slashing the windows as the two sat in front of the fire. It was a cold night, the air nippy and chilling, he swore it was an omen. A professor said something about pathetic fallacy in class? He didn't listen much lately, but he was almost sure it was that.

He was the 'golden boy, sunshine with no problems', so people came to him with problems. Which he didn't mind, he enjoyed to help people. He was a listener. Part of him wished someday he'll be the talker snd someone else will be the listener for him.

Anyway, he listened intently as they talked about their problems and why they had been struggling so much. He was a good listener, he always seemed to have good advice and a smile on his face, which seemed to make the perfect atmosphere for people too spill their problems and worries in.

However, the atmosphere shifted from sorrow to frustration as they began to get more short tempered by the moment. James still listened though, listening to how they'd like to snap but knew they'd ruin it if they did. So James did what he always did.

He had a tendency of letting people and subtly encouraging them to be mean to him so they got it out. Of course this crushed him on the inside. He always kept a tough look, seeming unbothered by it. But it ate at him from the inside. He hated it. But, he loved helping. So he did it anyway.

He finally spoke, his voice extremely soft, " if you need to be mean, be mean to me." It had a hint of sadness beneath it, but you had to really listen closely.

He knew he had to stop doing this, letting people be mean to him so he felt needed and they kept him around. He knew it was destructive, Remus often told him, but he couldn't get out the loop. He needed to feel needed, he needed to have someone keep him around. And if that was for their own personal use as a punching bag, it was better than nothing.. right?