BEING JAMES POTTER
James Sirius Potter jumped off the Hogwarts Express at the end of his fourth year, clutching one handle of his blasted trunk. Why did the bloody thing have to be heavy? And why couldn't they perform a simple Feather-Light charm on it?
They had a pretty good working order, where he, Al and Hugo hefted the trunks to the platform if his family wasn't there. The order of the persons relieved of their trunks was—Lily, Rose, Hugo, Al, Rhea, and James.
Rhea was James' girlfriend, a muggle-born with flaming red hair and eyes of a startling blue. She was a Chaser on his Quidditch team. The best one, he might add with a dash of pride.
Lily whole-heartedly believed that all Potters fell in love with red-heads, and was currently watching with rapt fascination as Rhea kissed her boyfriend good-bye. Very enthusiastically, I might add. She did not notice the man standing in the shadows, an evil grin lighting up his—currently—wolfishly hazel eyes.
The entire Potter-Weasley clan moved to the enormous group of grown-ups in the centre of the platform 9¾, chattering happily, and knowing without seeing that this was their family. No other family could be quite as large as that.
As they reached them, though, Teddy Lupin emerged out of nowhere, his hair a subdued black and eyes hazel. He grinned at James then muttered "Payback time," so only James could hear. Then he started screaming without notice.
"See that girl over there, Harry? See her? Guess what she was doing? Snogging James! Our James! James Potter! Snogging that redhead there! Our cousin! And I almost asked James what he was doing—"
The entire group was doubled over with laughter, while James tried to wrestle Teddy to the ground. Teddy's fiancé, Victoire, looked on, helpless with laughter. She remembered this moment three years ago perfectly, and how ashamed she had been at first.
"Serves you right!" she shrieked at James.
Teddy stopped screaming the words, his breath coming out in gasps, as huge shudders of suppressed laughter travelled through his body. He heaved himself up, and mischievously waited till they were all in the car.
"So," he asked. "What's Miss Redhead's name?"
He avoided James' lousily aimed fist neatly, and replied tartly, "What? I am son of a Marauder and raised by the son of another. What the heck do you expect? This has been coming for you for three years, Jamie."
They all laughed again as James childishly stuck out his tongue at his older cousin. The entire family razzed at the poor boy again and again, asking him pesky double meaning questions, demanding photographs of Rhea, and—in Ron's case—her entire family geneology.
"She's muggle-born!" yelled James, totally exasperated, when they entered the Potter Mansion.
"Ahhhhhh," said Teddy wisely, nodding his head gravely. That earned him another kick in the shins.
"So," said Harry mercilessly. "You're in love with a red-headed muggle-born witch."
"Yeah," said James explosively. "So what? Kill me!"
Fred shook his head sadly at his cousin. "You take being James Potter to a whole new level, mate."