autistic Draco 😌 I'm sorry if anything is inaccurate cause I don't know much about autism, to be honest. I just know a less than basic knowledge of it, enjoy the fic nonetheless, fluff, meltdowns, no Voldemort!AU
______________________________________
When Harry Potter first met Draco Malfoy at the Ministry Ball at the age of 5, he thought the other boy was the weirdest boy he had ever met in his entire life. He stared at the timid looking boy, who kept flinching and twitching around a lot whenever someone was talking loudly near him. He looked very nervous, or maybe he was uncomfortable because his eyes never seemed to meet anyone as it darts around the bright room. Harry left his mother's side silently without her noticing and approached the beautiful albino looking boy.
"Hello," Harry approached him with a smile, speaking very softly so that he wouldn't startle him. "My name is Harry. What's your name?" The boy stared at him, seemingly confused as he rocked back and forth on his heels. He then flapped his arms insistently. Harry wondered what he was doing but by the look of his red face. It was only minutes before things blow.
"My name. My name. My name. My name," he smacked himself once and then twice. Harry only watched, not wanting to alarm the other boy if he touched him without permission. "Draco!" he squeaked. "Yes! No! Draco. Draco! Yes!" he moaned as if in pain. Harry smiled still. "Your name is Draco? That's a pretty name!" he said and Draco was about to say something before a man slammed his hands on the table, disrupting everyone's peace.
"Someone fucking stop this psychotic bastard! He's starting to annoy me!" he yelled and Harry's eyes widened. He said a bad word! Draco flinched violently when the man yelled at him and started screaming bloody murder, tugging his hair in a tight grip. Harry stumbled backwards in shock and ran towards his Mom, who was equally as shocked as he was. "Mom! Something is wrong with Draco!" Harry panicked.
"Draco? As in Draco Malfoy?" his godfather's eyes widened.
"Draco!" a woman whom Harry assumed was his mother came to him with a worried expression. "I was searching everywhere for you! Come on, let's go home," she grabbed his arm but the boy struggled against her, trying to get away so badly. His own mother placed him down before rushing to help them. "Narcissa, I don't think that's a very good idea," she said seriously. The man who was yelling earlier was being escorted out roughly by Aurors.
"I think I know how to handle my child, Potter," the woman sneered but Lily just stared at her blankly. "Well, obviously you don't know how to handle an autistic child then if this is how you treat him when he's having a meltdown," she tossed back at her before focusing on Draco. Harry struggled to be put down and ran towards his mother quickly.
"Hello there, little baby," she cooed. "How are you, sweetheart? What seems to be the matter? Are you having trouble? Tell me, love. Do you want to go somewhere quieter?" Draco struggled to answer her, hands covering his ears tightly but still loose enough to hear her probably. She smiled gently at him, holding a hand out. "Let's go somewhere quiet. Is that alright with you, baby?"
Draco moaned again as if in pain, flapping his arms around, in tears, pacing back and forth nervously. Harry felt sad for his friend. "Or maybe," Lily grinned playfully. "Harry can hold your hand as we leave?" That got the blond's attention, staring at Harry even though his body twitched insistently. Harry bravely held out his hand, smiling. "Come on, beautiful princess. I'll protect you from the big bad people in this place. This is my mom. Her name is Lily. It's a flower. And that's Sirius. He's my godfather. They're nice people. They won't hurt you. Neither would I."
Harry was quite vocal and his language acquisition was surprisingly developing quite fast than other kids his age. At the end of the age of 4, he was able to speak fluently without any incorrect pronunciation or wrong grammar and a stutter.
