Team: Holyhead Harpies
Position: Keeper
Prompt: Write about someone turning into a household pet (by choice or otherwise) and living as one for a while.
Word Count: 1,599
Warning: Brief scenes/mentions of animal cruelty. Character death
Between Us
"So you think a commoner like you can steal away the man I love?" she hissed at the photograph of the striking redhead who ruined her favourite picture of her beloved. The dark brunette kept it nearby at all times to remind her of why she was doing this. "Well, we shall see about that. He won't be able to love you if you're not around. He's mine. He's always been mine."
She cast a lock of red hair into the bubbling cauldron in front of her, and smirked as it turned gold. The complex potion was finally ready after months of sourcing all the ingredients and brewing it—something only the most skilled and powerful sorceresses could do. The next part of her plan would be a lot easier to accomplish.
Tomorrow morning, Lily Evans would disappear forever.
~o~o~o~
"Lily!" Marlene called, hurrying towards her best friend while being careful with the cup of hot chocolate she was carrying. Her dark hair blew in the light breeze as she looped her free arm around Lily's. "Do you want the rest of this? I had a sip but it's a bit too chocolatey for my liking and I know you have a sweet tooth."
Lily swept her hair over her shoulder and smiled at her friend. "You're so sweet, Marlene. Thank you," she replied, taking the cup from the brunette.
As Lily took a sip from the cup, Marlene's eyes darkened.
The pair made small talk about the plans for Lily's upcoming engagement party as they meandered along the cobbled street in the kingdom of Godric's Hollow.
Marlene resisted the urge to roll her eyes as Lily prattled on about the guest list and how Prince James was being so romantic by making sure she had everything her heart desired even though it was too much. Instead she smiled and laughed as the redhead drank the hot chocolate unaware of the fate that awaited her.
Lily coughed violently and the cup fell from her hand. Marlene stared impassively at her friend as she began to shrink and soon in the place where Lily had stood, was a ginger cat.
The cat meowed at Marlene who crouched down to stroke her.
"Don't worry, Lily, I'll find James and explain," she whispered softly. "We'll split up and meet back here in an hour."
Lily purred in agreement and turned to walk towards the castle, slowly adjusting to the strange sensation of walking on four paws.
~o~o~o~
Lily prowled along the street, looking for James. She had to find him and somehow let him know what had happened to her. She didn't know how. She didn't know why. All she knew was that she was a cat.
Her eyes zeroed in on the man she loved riding his favourite horse, Prongs, across the castle grounds. She ran as fast as her new legs would allow towards him.
"Prince James," Marlene panted, rushing up to the man. Lily breathed a sigh of relief. Marlene would be able to tell him what happened to her. "The most terrible thing has happened."
"What is it? Is it Lily? What happened to her, Marlene?" he rushed out, jumping down from his horse. Lily brushed up against his legs, trying to get him to look down and notice her.
"It's horrible," Marlene sobbed, narrowing her eyes at the cat. "She—she ran away to be with another man. She told me she didn't love you and she never did. I'm so sorry I have to be the one to tell you this."
Everything finally clicked for Lily as it dawned on her what had happened. Marlene was behind everything—she had done this to her. But why?
The prince's knees buckled beneath him and he fell to the ground. Lily meowed loudly at him begging him to look at her.
Marlene crouched down next to him and pushed her away from James. Lily hissed loudly at the brunette.
"Why would she do this to me?" he asked.
"I don't know," Marlene replied sadly, wrapping a consoling arm around James' shoulder. "But I'll be here for you in any way to need me."
Lily watched in horror as Marlene kissed James on the cheek, and quickly figured out Marlene's motive. She was jealous.
~o~o~o~
Lily stalked the dark halls of the castle. Three months had passed since Marlene had turned her into a cat. Lily wasn't sure how she had managed it—the only thing that made sense was some form of magic, but magic had been extinct from the kingdom for a millenia.
James had given up all hope on her returning, and Marlene was slowly worming her way into his affections. Every time Lily saw Marlene, she was snuggling up to James and being a shoulder to cry on. It made her feel ill. She hated that James couldn't see through Marlene's facade.
She couldn't even get close to James during the day to try and alert him to what had happened. Whenever she saw him he was always with Marlene. The last time she had tried to approach James in the street, Marlene had kicked her to one side without a second thought.
The only time Lily was ever able to get close to James was when he was sleeping. It was the only time Marlene wasn't around.
The door at the end of the corridor was slightly ajar. James' room. Lily slunk in through the open door and jumped up onto the bed and curled up next to him. She inhaled his familiar scent and wished more than anything she was human again.
~o~o~o~
The sun shone through the gap in the curtains in James' room. Lily stretched and flexed her claws. She nuzzled up against him, showing him in the only way she could that she loved him before she jumped down off the bed and left his bedroom—Lily didn't know what to expect from James if he woke up to find a strange cat in his bed.
She trotted down the corridor towards the kitchen. The chefs within the castle had always been kind to stray cats, and had extended the same kindness towards her in the past few months. It was the only reason she hadn't starved.
As she entered the lounge, to pass through it to get to the kitchen, Lily noticed Marlene stood by the fireplace. Lily had only taken a couple of paces before the brunette turned around and noticed her.
"You just won't quit, will you? You couldn't just disappear like a good little kitty," Marlene screeched at the cat as she reached for the red hot poker from the fireplace. "I kept warning you what would happen if you came back here and ruined my happiness."
The dark brunette advanced on Lily who stood her ground firmly. She wasn't about to leave and let Marlene get any closer to James after everything she had done.
Marlene lunged at her with the poker and Lily darted out of the way. She purred loudly as Marlene stumbled forward into the wall and hit her head.
"You're going to regret that!" she hissed, kicking Lily hard. She yowled and rolled over onto her side. Her stomach ached with pain.
Suddenly, the poker plunged into her side and blood began to pour out onto the floor. Lily's breathing became laboured as the door to the lounge opened.
"Marlene, I'm ready to—" James paused as his eyes fell on the small cat on the floor. "What have you done?"
"She was like this when I got here," Marlene cried, throwing the poker to one side and turning towards James. "I was just about to go for help."
"The poker was in your hand, Marlene," James hissed, walking over to cat on the floor. "How could you do this?"
Lily purred softly and her eyes fluttered closed as James stroked her gently and leaned forward to kiss her on the head. It pained Lily, emotionally and physically, when she felt him let go of her and shuffle away from her.
Her eyes opened and she tilted her head to one side. "James," she croaked out.
Lily's eyes widened as she realised she had spoken instead of purring for the first time in months. She lifted her arms and used her left hand to cover her wound and pushed herself up into a seated position with her right. She ached all over, but it was worth it to be able to look at James properly again.
Marlene scowled at Lily and ran from the room.
"Lily," James whispered, crawling back over to her and taking her in his arms. "How? I thought you left me."
Lily tried to speak. She wanted to tell James everything about what Marlene had done to her. She knew she wouldn't last much longer and she accepted that, and she wasn't about to waste her final breaths on the woman who had done this to her.
"I—I l-l-love you, Ja-ames," Lily gasped, fighting for every breath.
"I love you too," James replied, tears falling from his eyes as he reached for the discarded poker. "Wherever you go, I go."
"No!" Lily yelled, coughing. "No, y-you need to l-live."
Lily reached up and touched James' face. She smiled weakly up at him. Her eyes fluttered closed and her arm fell to the floor with a thud.
James screamed loudly and hugged Lily close to him. He cried for his lost love and vowed that he would avenge her death.
Marlene McKinnon would pay for what he did to Lily if it was the last thing he ever did.