It all started with a racoon || jegulus

Chapter 4

The thing about James Potter is that he does everything to the maximum, even the smallest and most insignificant of the things.

He does not simply enjoy living, because he does it at his fullest.
He does not simply care for his friends, because he cares so deeply about them that all of his problems are forgotten, disappeared in clouds of thought.
He does not simply love people, because in loving them he puts all of his time and energy.

Most of the actions he does are based on pure thoughts. He does not think about anything twice if he considers it the right thing to do. He definitely does not stop in front of trouble. He smiles in front of it, like how an old friend would do.

For these reasons most people think that he is self-centred, but really he is everything but it. Ten times out of ten he does what he does, not because of what people will think of him, but because he simply cares. He cares so much and to such an extent that sometimes it feels like fire burning from inside, like a lightning thunderstorm on the coast of an abandoned beach. Sometimes it's hurtful, sometimes it's pleasant, sometimes it's numb. But James Potter does not stop caring even a bit. Because that's just who he is.

So, really, what happens next shouldn't surprise anyone.

~~~⁕~~~

It's not until he passes his Cognitive Psychology's exam that he finally decides to go back to the shelter.

The exam had him drained and while in Peter's and Remus' opinion eating sweets and reading a book will recharge them fully until their next exam, James just needs to breathe again.
So really it's no wonder that one cold afternoon some days after his exam he ends up in his red 80's Old Chevy headed towards The Bowtruckle.

As he sings along the notes of Madonna's "Material Girl" wind ruffles his hair, the truck's window being open.
These days the air is pretty chilly and while he usually doesn't mind the cold, with it being now mid February the temperature is starting to rise more and more and James can't honestly wait for it to be spring.
He loves spring. Flowers blooming, birds chirping, kids laughing, sunsets, lake picnics. It feels like life at its fullest and he can't honestly wait to feel that alive again. He is mostly a cheerful person all year, but when spring arrives he goes back to being that little kid he used to be, looking at the world with brand new eyes every time. He gets excited for the smallest of things and feels on cloud nine most of the time. But what he likes about spring the most is the preceding period, where everything takes its time and blooms again from its ashes.

Thinking about spring always puts him in a good mood, so when he finally arrives at the shelter he's already feeling a good chunk better than he was the day before.

Before getting off the truck, he takes the basket full of carrots that he had prepared especially for Bambi the evening before. Even if he doesn't like favouritism, he has to admit that Bambi has a special place in his heart. James has been taking care of him since he was a fawn. One day, when he was a kid, Bambi had just straight up showed up in his parents' garden and stayed. To this day, James still doesn't know what brought him to their house, but he has never been more grateful that it happened. Him and Bambi pretty much grew together, and with James discovering the hard truth of becoming an adult, facing his middle school and high school years filled with bullyism, going back to Bambi at home was his safe spot. Sure, he had the most loving parents who he wouldn't change for the world and the most awesome and supporting friends he could have ever asked for, but Bambi was something else. The deer knew when James was feeling down and didn't want others to see it.

So, simply put, James can't wait to see his favourite deer again.

He opens the trucks' door and hops down the drivers' seat, whistling on the notes of TOTO's "Hold the Line", it being the last song the radio was playing. With the carrot basket in his arms he goes up to the shelter's front door and rings the doorbell, waiting for someone to appear.