A/N: Will eventually have three chapters. Enjoy the first one and remember that reviews are always nice!
Childhood
Birth - 2004
The 16th of November 2004 has been unusually peaceful day in St Mungo's maternity ward, and Healer Lisa Turpin hopes (quite foolishly, as she later admits) that the following night shift will be just as quiet as the day has been.
Little before eleven her hopes crash down when the situation changes, and with a sigh she abandons her cup of coffee. Young, pale and very terrified-looking man she remembers from her school days (and, more importantly, from various newspapers) brings his redheaded, growling wife in.
Midnight comes and goes before the baby is finally ready to leave its warm little home, and Healer Turpin hurries to give Mrs Potter more potion to ease her pain. It isn't until four AM when the little baby boy (little to his parents, at least, but in Healer Turpin's experienced eyes this baby is perfectly average size) arrives to the world after many "You're doing great, honey"s from the husband and lot of cursing from the new mother.
Next day, after Lisa Turpin has gone home to enjoy her day off, dozens of visitors (seventeen if you count the little children) come to adore this new addition to their family. Little James Sirius Potter doesn't have any idea who all those people are, but he senses their love surrounding him and feels safe.
World - 2008
The world is such a great (and a little scary) thing in James' four-year-old eyes. He plays in the snow and builds a snow-wizard with Daddy, and has already started to wait for Christmas impatiently. Five weeks, how can he possibly wait for so long?
"You could play with Al", Mummy suggests after James has told her for millionth time he's bored. Mummy is in the kitchen, reading a book to Albus, keeping on eye on the pie in the oven and cradling Lily to sleep at the same time. Like always, James is awed by Mummy's talents, and promises himself that someday he will marry someone who is as pretty and skilled as Mummy.
But even if Mummy is perfect, she doesn't seem to realise that James can't play with a baby like Al. James is four and a big boy, Al is two and a tag-along. So James just tickles sleeping Lily under her chin, (gently) kicks Al and runs out to play in the snow again until Daddy calls him inside and says it's time to brush his teeth and go to sleep.
Harry tucks James in and watches how he falls asleep slowly. Ginny appears behind his back and presses her head against his shoulder.
"He is growing up so fast", she whispers sadly and Harry nods. He knows that someday the world is going to turn his little Jamie to a grown man, make him move away, have a family of his own. But it's not going to happen quite yet, and Harry is glad about that.
Family - 2010
It's just another Weasley family Christmas and happy chatter and excited squeals fill the Burrows.
James is happy that Uncle Charlie is here this year, but he thinks secretly that Uncle could have left Owen and Kitty to Romania. James can stand Jude – he is only four like Al and Rose and Lucy, and doesn't do anything interesting, but at least he stays near Auntie Aileen and doesn't harass James like Albus does.
Uncle Bill sits on the floor playing chess with Molly (kindly letting her win) and holds the newest cousin, Louis, in his arms. Auntie Audrey and Freddie comfort little Roxy, who has fallen over and scraped her knee, while Uncle Percy is watching over Johnny, who walks around with his little legs shaking.
James can't see Teddy's yellow, black-striped hair anywhere and knows he is upstairs with old cousins, Victoire, Owen and Kitty, having an own little circle with them. It makes James feel lonely and his lower lip trembles a bit. With Freddie worrying over his sister's knee, James is all alone here.
And suddenly he feels a pair of warm arms around him. Grandma lifts him up and holds him in her lap and James rests his shining black head against her chest. No, he's not alone at all, there is someone for him too.
Grandma carries him to the kitchen, where Mummy, Auntie Fleur and Uncles George and Ron are sitting around a table and laughing at some story Uncle George is telling. James slips to the bench between Mummy and Uncle Ron, and receives a gingerbread from Grandma and a pat on his head from Uncle Ron.
Yes, it's just another Weasley family Christmas and James is happy.