Here is my miserable failure at keeping James out of one of my stories. It was written for The Reviews Lounge Hallowe'en Challenge 'Something Wicked This Way Comes '

The Quaffle

She was an idiot. A stubborn sentimental idiot. Of course she had adamantly refused her mother's help and now she was paying for it in sweat and blood. But it was James' first proper Halloween after all (they were all trying as hard as possible to forget last year's disaster) and she'd be damned if she didn't make the stupid costume herself.

She yelped as the pin jabbed her finger viciously. "Wrong direction." She muttered forcefully pointing it towards the bright red lump that was supposed to be James' quaffle costume. She sighed, there was no denying the kid was hers, and a Potter at that. He'd been very forceful when she'd asked him what he'd like to dress up as for Halloween. "And Merlin knows it's always been impossible to reason with a Potter." She sighed and rubbed her eyes tiredly. She'd been working on it for a little over an hour. She looked over at her son, curled up on his play-mat, impossibly fast asleep. His thumb was stuck firmly in his mouth and under his arm he clutched as much as possible of the large stuffed wolf, 'werewolf ' Ginny could practically hear Teddy's voice correcting her.

A sharp pain in her wrist drew her attention. The pin was back jabbing at her again, as if to tell her she was doing it all wrong. Like she needed telling. For a few moments she regarded her creation then burst into tears, what sort of mother couldn't even make her son a Halloween costume? Harry came tearing into the room, "What's wrong? Where's James?"

"A quaffle for Merlin's sake! how bloody hard is to make a quaffle costume?" She demanded tearfully. "I'm a terrible parent, James will hate me forever! Everyone will laugh at him and his failure of a mother, he'll be scarred for life, he'll never be the same…"

"Er Honey I think you're overreacting just a little." Harry said pushing her gently till she was seated on the lounge. She gave a shuddering sob. "I am not. Just look at it."

He did, rubbing her back soothingly, "You know it's highly unlike James will even remember…" The look on her face instantly told him that this was the wrong thing to say, he backtracked hurriedly, "I mean, it's not that bad, and James will be enjoying himself so much. He loves you very much because you're an amazing mother."

"Liar,"

"You are a fabulous mother. You don't have to be perfect for that."

"If I was fabulous I could make a stupid Hallowe'en costume."

"You've survived James this far, I'd say that makes you pretty fabulous, costume or not. Just look at what he's put you through already."

She sniffed, slightly mollified, "He's worse than Fred and George were combined."

"I've no doubt. Possibly it was a bad idea to combine Potter and Weasley genes." He was rewarded with a small smile, "Oh definitely, you wouldn't believe what he did to my new shoes yesterday…" but Harry never did find out, at that moment, the latest Potter/Weasley progeny chose to wake up. Yawning sleepily he toddled over from the mat he'd been curled up on.

"Kwaffel." He said beaming up at his mother and pointing excitedly at the heap of red materiel and tangled cotton abandoned on the floor.

"Oh my clever boy." Ginny was ecstatic as she swooped down on James, raining kisses on his face "He said his first word!"

"Let me get the camera!" Harry rushed off .

Ginny bounced James up and down on her should, cooing, "can you say mummy? Come on darling, mum-my."

Harry returned, not only with their magical camera but also a muggle camcorder, "Say Daddy, James."

"Mummy. It's easy honey, have a go."

"Kwaff." James gurgled happily. "Kwaff."

Ginny glanced slyly at Harry who was snapping away and fumbling to change between camera quick enough. "He's going to be a Chaser." She informed him smugly. "Just like his mummy."

"Maybe if you'd let him have a snitch costume he'd have said…"

"He wanted a quaffle, he made that very plain." She interrupted scornfully.

"He only just said his first word, maybe you misinterpreted." Harry retorted.

"A mother always knows." Ginny replied darkly and Harry, correctly reading the warning signs in her eyes, suggested they go tell her parents about the latest exciting development.

Okay, I don't really know too much about ages kids start doing things so thanks to everyone on the RL who gave me advice on what age James could start talking. he's about 17 months in this story.

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