DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters.

Moody and Moony

Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody was a rough man. He didn't talk very much and it was very hard to make him smile genuinely. It was nearly impossible to make laugh wholeheartedly. But there were a few people who could do it. Make him talk, and laugh and smile sincerely, that is. One of those people was Remus John Lupin.

February, 1979

Moody had met Remus Lupin in early 1979 at The Leaky Cauldron. He had gone out for a drink with a few of the Auror's he worked with. Remus was introduced to him through Sirius Black and James Potter – a couple of new recruits to the Ministry – and he and Remus quickly became friends.

"Moody, meet Remus J. Lupin," James said gesturing to Remus. "He's a good friend of ours. Has been since our first year at Hogwarts." James was a little tipsy by then and his eyes had glazed over ever so slightly but he spoke clearly. "Moony, this is Alastor Moody. He works with us."

Remus smiled sheepishly and stuck his hand out towards Moody. "It's nice to meet you," he said softly. Although it was a busy night at the pub and it was rowdy and loud, Moody could hear him quite clearly. He took his hand and shook it firmly before Sirius bounded over.

"Ah, good. You've met," he said slinging an arm around Remus' shoulders. Moody released Remus' hand and nodded. "That's good," Sirius said distractedly before turning his attention to James. "We've got a bet to be getting on with. Drinks, now." He demanded before he turned to Remus and whispered something in his ear. Remus frowned a little in confusion but nodded nonetheless. Sirius stopped whispering and grinned wickedly at Remus before he took his arm from around his shoulder and dragged James to the bar leaving Moody and Remus alone.

"Sorry," Remus apologised. "I don't know if you've ever had the pleasure of seeing them drunk but, uh, well, you're about to."

Moody looked over to see James and Sirius sitting at the bar facing one another with determined, daring faces. "What're they doing?"

Remus turned to look at them too. "They are about to play a game that they've been playing since Hogwarts," he explained. "It's sort of a staring contest. If one blinks then they both have to drink." He paused as they both took a shot each. "Honestly, it's just a way for them to get drunk quicker," he chuckled.

Moody nodded his acknowledgement as they took another two shots of some purple liquid each. "No, I haven't seen them drunk yet," he said absently.

"Oh, it's a riot," Remus half joked. He told Moody about the time that they had literally started a riot by accident in school because they had somehow gotten Butterbeer into everyone above fourth year's cups at dinner. Half of the school had, apparently, ended up in the Black Lake. Moody found this to be quite a funny tale and had cracked the tiniest smile before his normal frown had returned.

"Do you want another drink?" Remus asked politely. Mood looked down into his glass. It was nearly all gone so he nodded and they bought some more drinks before settling down at a table together.

Once they had settled at a table, they only left a couple of times – for the toilet or to renew their drinks. They had talked practically all night, that night. Moody had actually talked about himself. Something which he didn't usually do. Remus seemed to have a way of making him talk. And he actually seemed interested in what Moody had to say.

Moody had found out some stuff about Remus too. He'd found out that Remus was a half-blood and that his mother was a Muggle. He'd also found out that his father was Lyall Lupin and that he worked at the Ministry. Moody hadn't registered until later that he'd actually met Remus' father before as Mr Lupin had worked in the Ministry long before Moody joined. They were interrupted a couple of times by a drunk Sirius but he eventually left to start a drinking war with James again. They had talked all night until Remus had to leave.

"I have to go," he said regretfully. "I have to make sure they get home all right," he said nodding towards the bar.

Moody turned around to look over his shoulder at where Remus was signalling. At the bar were James and Sirius. A very drunk James and Sirius. James was sitting on the floor leaning against the bar with a half-empty glass and Sirius was sat on a stool hunched over the bar resting his head on his arms. Moody bit the inside of his cheek and pondered whether he should help Remus or not. They were clearly obliterated. Moody wasn't sure if they even knew who they were.

He turned back to Remus. "You want some help? I have to go anyway," he said.

Remus looked a little shocked. "If that's okay. I don't normally let them get this drunk," he laughed. "It's your fault," he joked. Moody held his hands up in mock defence before they stood up and picked up the two men. Moody thought they seemed more like tall drunk toddlers at the moment. Moody pulled James up from the floor and flung him over his shoulder. Remus gently eased Sirius off the stool and out of the pub. They took them to James' house and left Lily to deal with them.

Most of the work outings, Remus was there. Moody was quite grateful for this. He liked Remus. He thought Remus was a good man and every time that he and Remus were in the pub they'd talk to each other.

March, 1979

Moody was from a Pure-blood family but unlike many of the other Pure-blood families, his did not judge people from things they couldn't help (like blood-status, for example), they judged people through actions. Moody had acquired this way of thinking which is why when he found out Remus was a werewolf, he didn't really care. It wasn't something he chose to be.

He had found out one day when he saw Remus at the Ministry leaving the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Remus stopped when he saw Moody but he eventually, cautiously, walked over to talk to him.

"Hello, Lupin. What're you doing here?" he asked although he had a pretty good idea. Remus could have lied. He could have said he was here to visit his father but he didn't. And that was something Moody admired.

"I… I came here to sign some forms," he said looking around the wide corridor.

"Because…" Moody prompted.

Remus sighed and looked at Moody. "Because, I'm a werewolf and there was a new legislation that the Ministry needed me to sign."

Moody had already guessed Remus was a werewolf. So he nodded his understanding. "Okay," he said plainly. "Well, you're here now. Food?" he asked nonchalantly.

Remus smiled and nodded. Moody thought he seemed quite grateful for him not abandoning him. But Moody didn't have many friends and he considered Remus a friend now. He wasn't likely to abandon him because he found out something that can't be helped. A few of the Auror's including Benjy Fenwick and Kingsley Shacklebolt joined them for dinner in a nearby park. Moody introduced Remus to Shacklebolt and Fenwick. James and Sirius joined them a little later.

June, 1979

Remus had explained to Moody why he couldn't hold down a job – his lycanthropy – and Moody suggested he work at the Ministry. When he had, however, Remus merely laughed it off and said that it was unlikely the Ministry would let a 'Dark Creature' work there.

Moody had thought about their conversation and had decided that it was worth a try. Moody was a trusted employee at the Ministry and they seemed to regard him with respect. Moody reckoned that, if he were to make a recommendation, the Ministry would listen to him.

So, in June, Moody went to the Minister – Harold Minchum – and had told him that he should consider Lyall Lupin's son Remus Lupin as his replacement when Lyall retired at the end of the month.

When he told Remus, he had thanked him for trying but had said it was useless. However, at the end of the month, about a week before Lyall Lupin was going to retire, Remus had been called in for an interview.

"I can't believe it," Remus said as he sat down at Moody's desk. He had just had his interview and Moody had told him to visit if he wanted when it was finished. Moody leaned back in his chair and waited for Remus to continue. "Moody, I got the job," he said disbelievingly. "They looked at all of my grades and decided to look past my condition." He looked up and grinned at Moody. "Thank you."

Moody smiled back. A sincere smile. He'd managed to help his friend get a steady job. "No problem, Lupin. You deserve it. What's wrong?" he asked when Remus' grin faded.

"It's just surreal… I mean, I have a job. At the Ministry of all places. Seriously, thank you, Moody. You're probably the reason I have the job," he said gratefully.

Moody shrugged off his gratitude and instead offered a tour around the Ministry since he'd be working there soon and needed to know the place which Remus had accepted.

July, 1979

Remus started working in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures in the beginning of July. He often came down to the Auror's offices at dinnertime and he and Moody would go and get food.

Moody was glad that Remus worked there now because he now had someone he didn't mind eating food with. Everyone else wanted to talk but Remus was quite content to just eat at his or Moody's desk in silence. Sometimes they would talk if Moody instigated the conversation. It seemed as though Remus knew when Moody was in a conversational mood.

"How's it going, then? Your new job," Moody asked before taking a large bite of his sandwich.

Remus finished his bite and answered. "It's good. I get to put forward new ideas to make life easier for people and creatures. And I get to oversee all of the changes people want to make. If I don't like them, then we have to have a vote or something. I haven't disliked any of them yet, so I don't really know what happens if I disagree. I like it. It feels like I have a say, you know?"

Moody nodded although he didn't know. He always had a say but he understood that Remus would probably not have as much a say as someone who wasn't a half-blood werewolf.

"And how's your dad?"

Remus smiled. "He's good, thank you. He said it feels weird to be retired. I still go round and ask him for help now and again," he admitted.

Most of their dinners they spent in the Ministry but sometimes they went out and spent them with other Ministry workers.

August, 1979

Moody didn't know when it started but he noticed it now. Whenever Remus smiled at him, he'd get something akin to bats flapping around in his stomach. It was odd. It was distracting. It wasn't entirely unpleasant. Moody simultaneously hated and loved those bats. He'd only noticed it now because it hit him in the face. Literally.

He'd been out on a mission and was hit with a rather bad spell. He woke up in St. Mungo's surrounded by a couple of Auror's and his friends. When he woke up, Remus was the first person he saw. Remus had grinned at him, relieved he was okay, and that was when Moody had noticed those bats flapping around.

"You're okay," he breathed. "You're an idiot," Remus joked and grinned at him while shaking his head. And there they were again. Remus had just called him an idiot and smiled and the bats decided to attack him. Truth be told he thought he might be having a heart attack or something. He was almost certain his heart had skipped a beat in its rhythm.

He had originally thought that maybe the bats were some sort of lasting damage from the spell but he later dismissed that theory as it happened more and more over the rest of the months.

By the end of the month, Moody had concluded that he almost definitely had a sort of 'crush' on his friend. It wasn't a 'crush' because he was an adult. And adults didn't get 'crushes' on people. They… They – well, he didn't know what they did but they didn't 'crush'.

November, 1979

Moody was both sad and happy on 3rd of November, 1979. It was Sirius Black's birthday and they had all gone out to celebrate it at The Leaky Cauldron.

He both sad and happy that night because Sirius decided to publicly and loudly declare his love for Remus that night. He had also announced that they were in a romantic relationship with each other and that they were moving in together. Remus didn't deny either of these claims and so, Moody concluded that it was all true.

Why was he sad about this? Well, he now couldn't be with Remus. Not in that way. Because as much as he begrudged it, he could see how much Sirius cared for Remus and how much Remus cared for Sirius too. He also thought Remus was 'out of his league' as it were.

Why was he happy about this? Because he thought that this development meant that maybe he'd be able to get over this infatuation with Remus since Remus was now off-limits.

"Hello," Remus said quietly as he hesitantly took a seat next to Moody at the bar. "You okay?"

Moody smiled at his concern for him. No, it wasn't helping his problem, knowing that Remus cared in some way. He turned his head to faced Remus and nodded tiredly. "Congratulations," he said as Remus' drink was replaced by the barmaid. "On everything."

Remus smiled and looked at the drink that was now in his hands. "If you don't want to be friends, that's fine. I understand."

Moody frowned deeper. "Why wouldn't I want to be friends?"

"Well," Remus paused and took a moment to answer. "Because of me and Sirius. You never know how people are going to take it, you know?" he asked as he hesitantly looked up and over to Moody.

Moody smiled as reassuringly as he could. "Remus, we're friends. No point in giving that up now because you fell for Black," he said as he heard a bark-like laughter. He looked over his shoulder to see Sirius sitting there laughing with James and a red-haired lady. He suspected that she was James' wife who he had suspiciously never met before. He turned back to see Remus grinning at him. He couldn't help but smile back.

"Thank you," Remus said sincerely before he got off his stool and stood by the bar. "You coming over?" he asked. Moody shook his head and held up his nearly empty drink as a sign that he'd have to come back over to the bar soon anyway. Remus nodded his understanding and walked over to the booth where his other friends were.

Moody watched subtly and when he heard Remus laugh and saw him smile, he felt those bats again. But he squashed them. Pommelled them. Obliterating them until they were nothing but bloody dust in his stomach. He couldn't allow those bats to come back again. Not if he valued his friendship with Remus, or Black for that matter, which he did. He valued their friendship highly. He didn't talk to Remus for the rest of the party as Sirius was intent on keeping the lycanthrope by his side. Moody soon left Sirius' party after downing the last of his drink. He waved at Remus before he left. He was going to get over this infatuation as soon as possible. He needed to.

Note: Okay, so, I'm sorry. But after writing the first chapter of Finding Andromeda, I couldn't help but feel as though I had given Moody a sort if love for Remus. And the damn idea just wouldn't leave so, here it is.