School and Theme: Hogwarts - Write about something hidden in plain sight.
Mandatory Prompt: [Emotion] Jealousy
Additional Prompt: [First line/last line] The bees gathered over the flowers.
Year: 1
Word count: 2990
Additional Information: Is it technically an AU if we don't know that it's not canon? Lily might have kept this a secret from She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, we don't know.
Well, this came out of nowhere, if I'm honest. I wanted to take this in a completely different direction and then I stumbled across a meme and the rest is history. This is my first time writing a Marauders fic (and it probably will be the last sinec I'm feeling quite out of my depth) but it ended up being better than I thought. I hope you guys come to the same conclusion too!
All the thanks to the amazing team of Hogwarts and special beta hugs accio-broom, smjl, cutiewithaCapital-Q, adenei and cheesyficwriter!
The bees gathered over the flowers. Lily allowed her mind to drift away as she watched them from the banks of the lake. No one paid attention to the creatures. They ignored the buzzing little beasts and went about their day as if the bugs were invisible. The things those bees could learn, disguised by their anonymity.
Oh, how she would love to have that power.
Oncoming voices distracted her, and she turned to stare at the whispering quartet of Gryffindors. The boys were huddled together as they walked towards Hogwarts, back early from their trip to Hogsmeade.
She'd been studying them closely for a while now. They disappeared every so often,exchanging those looks, and it grated on Lily's nerves. She hated being kept out of the loop. It was a feeling that haunted her from her early years, before Severus opened her eyes to the world of magic.
Jealousy burned in her veins like acid and she grinded her teeth together. Here she was, foregoing her weekend trip in favor of research on the dangers of human to animal transfiguration while they schemed.
The world gave them everything they wanted without question, everything she had to work and fight for just because she was a Muggleborn and a girl. James and Sirius got away with countless mistakes by the power of their charming smiles while she could never afford to be anything less than perfect. It wasn't fair. It was like they didn't even see her, and she loathed to admit that it hurt.
She tried to distract herself by focusing on her Transfiguration textbook, but the words on the page blurred and danced around. If only she had a way to figure out what they were doing, she could level the playing field with those stupid Purebloods.
Her eyes snagged on a small footnote, an idea tickling at the back of her head as she reread the paragraph. The Animagus spell. Lily might not be a Pureblood, but she was a strong witch and an even better potioneer. Her Transfiguration could use a bit of work but wouldn't this be the perfect opportunity? Two birds, one stone.
She allowed herself a small smile as she rose and dusted herself off, already giddy with excitement. The boys wouldn't even see her coming. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.
Lily flapped her new wings in a desperate attempt to balance herself before she crashed into a desk with a loud smack. It took a conscious effort to turn back into her human form and she patted her head to check for bumps and open wounds.
She had done it. The process was long and arduous, and she'd often doubted herself, but she was here. And, as luck would have it, the small bird was the perfect animal to spy on her annoying classmates with.
The sunlight caught in her gorgeous blue and green plumage, glinting like a rare jewel. Not as unsuspecting as a bee, she had to admit, but colibris were small and fast, and she would be able to sneak around with no problem.
If she ever managed to fly, that is.
The books had described the transformation as a natural extension of yourself. It was anything but. It was more like learning how to walk all over again, but Lily was determined to make it. Taking a walk around the empty classroom to stretch out her limbs, she paused by the window when the four Gryffindors sitting around the Lake caught her eye.
She was too proud to admit it out loud but she was a little bit jealous of their friendship. They may be awful to others, but no one could deny their loyalty; a devotion that often made her feel bad for trying to listen in. It had caused doubts throughout the Animagus process – it was one thing to glare and criticize them from afar and another to listen in to their most intimate conversations.
But then Peter nudged James and they both turned as a few Slytherin first-years walked past them, towards the Quidditch pitch. Lily flinched as the boys threw sly jinxes at the younger students, who ran terrified to safety. The smallest girl even burst into tears. It was a trainwreck she couldn't stop, and it solidified her decision. Moral questions aside, if she found some dirt on them to actually get the group in trouble, it would help so many others. And any personal benefit would be an added bonus.
It took months to master flying. Whoever said wings were like arms was bloody lying. But it was time to put her plan in action.
The self-proclaimed Marauders had just snuck out of the common room, acting so superior with their stupid Invisibility Cloak that they hadn't bothered keeping the noise down. Lily waited for a few beats with bated breath in case anyone else had heard them, but Gryffindor Tower was still fast asleep. It's now or never. Time to pull your big girl knickers on.
Tiptoeing to the portrait hole, she transformed and flew out before the Fat Lady could notice her and scold her for going out past curfew. She whizzed through the corridors as fast as she could so as not to alert any of the patrolling prefects or teachers to her presence, breathing a sigh of relief when she made it to the Courtyard.
Taking a moment to catch her bearings, she tried to adjust to the new sharpness of her senses. The manure from the Herbology classroom was overwhelming, and the buzzing insects in the garden brought forth a hunger she did not care to satiate. Lily flew as high as she could to take a break and recalibrate before she tracked the boys out. The soft breeze caressed her wings with a gentle, soothing touch and she almost forgot her reason for being outside this late. Would it be such a crime to just lounge around? They had gotten out of trouble scot free so many times before, would one more be that much of a difference?
"Oi, mate, slow down!"
And then James Potter had to go and ruin her peace and quiet. It was like he had made it his life's purpose to annoy her. With an irritated chirp, she dove back down to the ground, catching the tall teen standing next to a giant, black dog. The animal was barking and she was about to intervene and try to save the kid when James shook his head with a laugh and took a step back, transforming into a majestic stag in the blink of an eye.
That was the piece of the puzzle Lily had been missing. How they got away with everything, how they always snuck away, what they would cluck and whisper about. They are also Animagi. The jealousy reared up again. Of course they'd thought about it first! No matter what she did, she kept getting bested by those stupid boys.
The feeling festered like an infected wound as she watched the two animals play fight, an unassuming rat joining them after a while. Considering the boys' personalities, that would most likely be small and mousy Peter. And Remus did not give off puppy vibes, so the dog was Sirius. Then where was the missing boy?
She flew closer to eavesdrop as they all transformed back, confirming her initial guesses. The wind was behind her so she missed most of it but she caught enough spare words to put two and two together.
"Shack", "wolf", "moon".
Lily tried to fly behind Sirius' hair to hide and hear better, but the moonlight made her feathers glow so vibrant that it was impossible to be discreet. If only I had been a bee.
"What are you doing here, little hummingbird?" James asked, reaching out his finger for her to land on. She stumbled a bit and scratched his finger as she tried to hang on, but he cupped his hand and caught her before she fell.
"Easy there, pretty," he cooed as he stroked her head, causing an instinctual croon to start deep in her small chest. Lily was surprised by the care he showed, considering she rarely associated James Potter with any positive attributes. But his gentle petting and worry for her well-being showed her a side of him that she had never seen before.
She was jolted out of her reverie as Sirius bumped James' shoulder to get closer, but a second hand came up and enclosed her in a safety bubble before she could fly away.
"Careful, you prick, you'll make me drop it."
It was disconcerting to hear but not be able to see and Lily pecked at James' thumb to get him to let her go. She chirped in a panic as the hands raised but there was a small opening for her to peek out from, and suddenly she was staring into curious hazel eyes.
"You're a strange little bird, aren't you? Never seen one with wings like that before."
The look in his eyes was easily recognisable: he was studying her, clearly aware that there was something off about the bird in his hands but not sure what. Did more familiar Animagi have a sense for one another? Did he feel she was a human too? There was a different kind of panic running through her veins now, and her tiny heart beat so fast Lily feared it would explode.
As soon as he removed his top hand, she took flight again, rushing as far away from the insightful boy as she could. She didn't know what she expected to find, but it wasn't this.
Lily gnawed on her bottom lip as she rushed to Transfiguration late the next morning. McGonagall glared at her and she shot the professor an apologetic shrug as she shuffled into her seat.
She had barely slept after the rush of last night. She had waited until she heard the boys come back and then the adrenaline was too much to bear. Sleep had overtaken her in the early hours of the morning and she hadn't even had time for breakfast.
Her feelings were tied up in a knot that sat heavy in her stomach and forbade her from paying attention to anything else. Remus Lupin was a werewolf. The irony was not lost on her but she did not have time to dwell on it as more pressing matters took precedence. The professors must have known, so reporting him wasn't an issue. She wasn't sure that she would anyway; there was something about the gentle, clumsy teen that tugged at her heartstrings.
And obviously not just her own. The envy took a backseat to admiration at the thought of what the boys went through every month for their friend. They had gone through the arduous process of becoming Animagi to take care of him, to help him feel included. How were they the same bullies she had known half her life?
And James. He was the biggest surprise of them all. Her cheeks still warmed red when she thought of how gently he cradled her, how he looked at her with all the wonder and adoration of a kind soul. Was he like this all along? And if so, why did he put up the bad boy front? Her new information on him clashed with the image she had of him before yesterday and it all created confusing feelings she didn't much care for.
"Am I boring you, Miss Evans?"
Ink spilled on her parchment as she knocked her pot over. The adrenaline was clearly still rushing through her system, considering how jumpy she was. She hadn't even heard McGonagall approaching and her blush burned brighter as the elderly witch stood in front of her desk, her stern look terrifying.
"I'm sorry, Professor, I am not feeling well today." The lie tasted foreign on her tongue and she didn't enjoy the bitter flavor.
The Gryffindor Head of House hummed, her tone disbelieving, before she made her way back to the front of the class. Lily's eyes tried to follow her to the board but they snagged on a desk a few rows down, where James was seated next to Sirius. His black hair fell into his hazel eyes but couldn't hide his inquisitive stare, like he was trying to read her mind.
"You okay?" He mouthed and her gaze stayed on his lips just a moment too long. Her dying blush flared up again and she averted her eyes, busying herself with cleaning up her desk from the spill. What had she gotten herself into?
"Padfoot, wait up!"
Lily flew closer to the boys, landing safely on James' shoulder as he chased Sirius. As if he was expecting her, he slowed down his steps to allow her to form a steady grip and reached up to pet her small head.
"Hello, you little cutie," James cooed and she pinched his finger in response. It had become a habit since she'd first joined them three months ago. At first, she'd tried to hide but it was like Potter was searching for her after that first day and she stopped trying. Her treasured wings gave her away every time, unable to blend in with the dark and gloomy Scottish landscape.
"Come on, Prongs, we have work to do."
Sirius, on the other hand, never cared much for the little hummingbird. Lily was surprised his Animagus form was a dog because he resembled more of a cat to her, finding something shiny and then getting bored with it five minutes later.
"Yes, the moon is almost up and we still haven't figured out how to get to the Shack!" Remus' voice was panicked and for good reason. Peter had gotten an accidental Bludger to the head in their Flying class that afternoon and, from what Lily had figured out, that messed up their dynamics. James and Sirius were clearly the muscle, there to hold the werewolf down if anything went wrong. But Peter was the only one able to immobilize the Whomping Willow thanks to his size, which meant that without him, they had no access to their safety net.
"Stop being so uptight, Moony, we'll figure it out!" James' flippant tone was not the right approach and the conversation descended fast into a heated argument. Lily chirped to get their attention but they ignored her, even as she pecked James' ear. Idiots.
With a huff, she took off, landing a few steps behind the trio and transforming back into herself, crossing her arms and tapping her foot until they noticed her. It was Sirius that caught sight of her first and his face drained of color as he nudged the other two in her direction.
"Lily," Remus started, and his eagerness to get her away from them was palpable. "I know we are out past curfew but I'm telling you, you need to get away from here."
"Oh, I am not going anywhere," Lily rebutted, rolling her eyes at their ignorance. Did they really struggle so much with putting two and two together?
"Come on, Evans, I know you're itching to tell on us, but you need to…" James cut himself off and Lily almost saw the wheels turning in his head. She smiled when the figurative lightbulb switched on, his whole face brightening as he cracked the code. "You're the colibri."
There was none of the usual snark in his voice and Lily's conflicting emotions resurged. It was the first time they had spoken without yelling and derision. It was an odd feeling, but the little voice in the back of her mind kept saying how it wasn't that bad.
"Guess you do have a brain after all, Potter." Her jab held no malice and James' smile made her flush. She finally understood all the girls flocking their group; he was quite charming when he wasn't being an absolute ass.
Sirius cleared his throat to break up their tension and Lily rolled her eyes. So much for those Pureblood manners. "You both can get a room later, but is there a reason why you're stalking us, little miss perfect?"
"Is there a reason why you're such a prick, Black?" Lily volleyed back, raising her eyebrows in a challenge.
"Oh, feisty. I like her, James, can we keep her?"
"Shut up, you swine. Though, he does have a point. Why reveal yourself to us right now?" Okay, he's obviously not as bright as he seems. She should really learn to lower her expectations.
"Peter is sick. You need someone small to help you get to the Shrieking Shack. I am that someone. Got it, or do I need to dumb it down a bit more?" Remus choked down a chuckle but Sirius full-blown laughed as James' mouth hung open; no one had ever called their leader out like that before.
Remus was the first to recover and he stepped forward, reaching out to grasp her hand, gratefulness written all over his face. "You don't even know what this means to me, Lily. Thank you."
They made it in and out of the Shack just in time, the full moon bathing her in its light as she landed on James' antlers. She flew off as he transformed, and she changed back to stand next to him. Sirius had stayed back to keep Remus company and it felt strangely intimate to be all alone with him, especially on such a night.
"I never expected this from you, Evans," James started first, running a hand through his hair before he extended it out to her. "Truce?"
The answer came to her easier than she'd expected and there was no jealousy to be found in her heart this time. "You're not as bad as I thought either, Potter," Lily smiled as she shook his hand with a firm grip. "Truce."
