With a yawn, Alastor climbed out of bed and dressed quickly, running a comb through his unruly mane of hair. Summer holidays had officially begun, and the sixteen year old fully attended to spend the day messing around about town. As he bounded through the kitchen, however, his father stopped him.
"What's the rush, Al?" Mr. Moody called from the table. "Come on. Have a bit of breakfast with your old man."
Raising a brow, Alastor stared at his father in confusion. The man was a nightmare in the kitchen. So why the hell was there a mouthwatering feast on the table?
With a roll of his brown eyes, the boy sat down, grabbing a bit of toast for starters. "You made it? Dad, you burn water..."
Mr. Moody waved the skepticism away, muttering something about cooking lessons from sweet Mrs. Longbottom. With a sheepish grin, he passed his son a glass of orange juice.
Alastor accepted the drink, downing most of the contents in one gulp. Noticing his father watching him like a hawk, the youth squirmed, fearing this was another impromptu Auror lesson. "Have you poisoned me?"
Mr. Moody snorted. "Don't be ridiculous. No challenge in that. You know where I keep the bezoars. Now, Al, anything going on in the romance department?"
Alastor groaned, ready to tell his father to mind his own bloody business. Instead, the truth spilled out unbidden. "Elizabeth Bones. She has the most beautiful brown eyes."
"Is that so? Anything else you neglected to tell me in your letters?"
Before he knew it, the teen was telling all. From his skiving off Potions twice to a kiss under the mistletoe that he wasn't too thrilled to admit happened.
OoOoO
It was nearly dark before Alastor dared show his face after spilling his guts that morning. "What the hell was that, Dad?" he demanded.
"Veritaserum. Your dinner is getting cold son."
"Why would you spike my drink?"
"Rule one of being an Auror: trust no one. Especially family. Constant vigilance."
Grumbling, Alastor sat at the table, frowning at the drink beside his plate. "I think I'll just get some water."
Mr. Moody laughed. "You learn fast."