AN: This is a story based on a one-on-one Role Play about Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody and Minerva McGonagall. This only Moody's side of the story. If you are reading this, you have to read the other part of the story written from McGonagall's point of view, or you really should if you want the full story. That part of the story is written by MysticMusc.

Disclaimer: I own nothing in the world of Harry Potter; that belongs to JKR. The only things I do own are the made-up characters and the plot, which I technically share with MysticMusc.

Poisoned Cookies

Chapter 1: Talking Trees

I told her not to eat cookies from strange people. I told her it was bad idea. I told her if she got any strange cookies to tell me and I would be able to tell if they were poisoned or not. Did she listen? No. And look what happened! She ate them and ended up in St. Mungos, talking to evil trees. See? I'm not paranoid about these things for nothing! People do get poisoned food sent to them. But that isn't making anyone think any different. Old "Mad-Eye" Moody is any thing but crazy, but try to tell anyone anything different. But I was right! Not that people care. They still think I'm crazy, but I was right. Like I've said I was right, and poisoned cookies are evil.

Don't get me wrong I was glad she was alright, poisoned cookies could be tricky. I was her Secret Keeper, of course I cared what happened to her. But I told her so didn't I? Well truthfully, caring for her wasn't all because I was her Secret Keeper, but it was a part of it. The other part… I had considered telling her several times why exactly that was, but I couldn't bring my self to do it. Right then she didn't remember and that was fine with me. I didn't want to think about it either.

After checking with the Healers, to be sure she hadn't been moved to a new room I walked to the room she had been in. The room was nothing too special. Her bed, a chair, and surprisingly, a window. Not too strange of a thing when you think about it, but I was worried they were going to move her to a room without a window there for a while. Keep her from talking to trees, it had gotten pretty bad. Clearly it hadn't gotten too bad, or they would have moved her. She was there, sitting on her bed. She looked a whole lot better than she had. And she wasn't talking to trees, and that was always a plus.

"Oh, hello Moody," she said as I walked in.

"Hey Gail. How you feeling?" I said sitting at the chair by her bed.

Minerva "Gail" McGonagall, yep that was her. I had called her Gail for a long time. I had been her Secret Keeper for a while at that point too, at least officially. I had been as good as her Secret Keeper for a long time, longer than she even knew.

"I'm alright I guess. I don't understand why the nurses keep telling me to stay away from the windows though," she replied with a shrug.

She didn't remember talking to the trees. "I have no idea; I wonder why they'd do that." I lied with a small smile. "But next time you get strange cookies..."

Ok I was rubbing it in. It was to say 'ha ha I told you so' but, I wanted to be sure she wasn't going to do it again. It really worried me when she got sick from those things. I wanted to be sure she wasn't going to be in St. Mungos for eating poisoned cookies again, or poisoned anything for that matter.

"I won't touch them," she muttered, clearly not liking admitting I was right. "I'll do what you said to and not eat them."

She admitted I was right, maybe not out right, but still. I was surprised. But well I was just glad she got the point not to go after strange cookies. And that she said I was right, even if she didn't come right out and say it. I smiled. I was finished rubbing it in, for awhile at least.

"They say at all when they're gonna let you out of here?"

"Hopefully soon. Although if they said a date I don't remember." She said sighing and looking out the window.

"That's good, being stuck in this place for a day is bad enough. Hope you haven't been too bored."

I'd be glad when she was out of there too. She kept looking out the window. I bit my lip, hoping she wasn't going to have set back and start talking to trees again. I just wanted her to get better.

"Yeah it is. I've gotten bored... but whenever I would stand near the window a nurse would make sure I was moved back to the bed. Something about me being a crazy lady and talking to a tree. What was that about?"

I laughed.

"Well that's true. A crazy lady that talks to trees sounds about right." I smiled as she gave me a curious look and then explained. "The cookies made you talk to trees... It's funny to think about it now."

"Trees? I guess that would make me look a bit crazy..." She said with a sigh.

"Yeah it did, evil talking trees." I sighed. "I was worried about you Gail. But that's what comes from eating poisoned cookies."

Ok, so I was rubbing it in a little bit again.

"Evil talking trees. Really Moody, maybe it's you who ate those cookies." she said smiling a little, and then added. "I know. I know. "

"No it wasn't me; that was you. You know I don't eat any food I don't trust. And calling them evil was the only thing that would get you away from them. You really wanted to talk to those trees." I sighed softly, she wasn't exactly happy. Maybe I was rubbing it in a bit much. "You know I'm just looking out for you," I added apologetically

She shook her head. "I know you are. And I probably should be more careful." she said the last sentence under her breath, but I still heard it.

"Next time just take my advice?" I said.

I was glad she was better and actually thought the tree thing was strange. I naturally was worried being her Secret Keeper. I felt like I had to protect her, but she'd never know why past me being her Secret Keeper. I had a debt to repay...I didn't plan on ever telling her what that debt was. There was a reason, but I wasn't going to tell her and have her hate me forever. No, I wasn't going to do that again. I would not lose her too.

"I was really worried. Besides if you do it again I'll just rub it in worse," I threatened with a smile. I knew that was just as bad as if not worse than threatening to hex her into next week.

"Fine, next time I take your advice." she said, chuckling softly. "Oh great. That's just what I want." she said sarcastically, trying to keep from laughing.

I laughed too. Would I like it? Well yes and no. I didn't want her to get hurt, twice was too much of a risk. Next time it might have been worse than making her talk to trees. Poison wasn't something to mess around with. But if it did and she turned out to be all right? I'd probably be more mad than anything except maybe worried. I didn't want her taking risks like that. But I'd rub it in too; I'm not going to deny it.

"No, I'm just fine with bugging you about this."

"Well I think I've learned my lesson. Constant Vigilance right?" she said mockingly, making fun of a thing I'd been saying a lot at that time.

"I don't say that for nothing," I said defensively, and I didn't. We all needed to keep our eyes open; you couldn't go around just trusting everyone. If you did…well you were just setting yourself up for some serious trouble. "See I'm not the crazy one, I don't go off talking to trees."

I would be glad when she could get out of that place. Hopefully it would be in a few days. I knew she was getting tired of it. I was getting tired of it just being there to visit her. That place held too many memories I'd have rather forgotten forever. It hadn't been a fun place for me. No hospital was, but I had enough bad memories in that place to last me a life time.

"Hey if your memory was erased and you thought trees talked you would have talked to them too." she retorted.

We were sitting there talking when a Healer came in. She smiled and nodded to me, before turning to Gail. She didn't bother to send me away, they had tried that already. Let's say I wasn't happy about them trying to send me away. I was going hear what she said. I had every right to.

"I have good news Miss McGonagall, you should be able to go home in a few days," she said.

I was glad to hear it, she was too. She could leave.

"Wonderful." she answered, in a much nicer tone than she had been when I was rubbing it in.

"Good to hear," I muttered.

The Healer smiled and nodded. "You've been much better lately and you should be out in two days at the most."

She continued smiling, clearly happy know she was getting out. I couldn't blame her.

"You're sure, just two more days?" she asked.

"Oh yes," she said. "This is straight from the head Healer. You should be out of here soon."

Gail looked completely ecstatic. It was good to know she'd be leaving, that meant she was better and I could worry less. I had known for a few days that she'd be okay, but the 'keeping her for observation' did little to make me feel any better about how she was.

"Finally." she muttered under her breath, but I still heard her.

I could tell Gail was happy, and hey, I couldn't blame her. She had every reason to want to leave. I'd been stuck in that hospital for long periods of time and I knew it wasn't fun. Granted, I probably had a worst time there, and worst memories that came with it, but still I understood her wanting to leave. Actually, I probably wanted to get out of there more than she did. That place wasn't a favorite of mine.

"If there is nothing you need, that was the only thing I was here for..." the Healer said with a small smile.

"I don't need anything." Gail replied.

"All right then. If you need any thing, be sure to let me or someone else know," she said and turned leaving the room.

I sighed watching her go, then turned back to Gail.

"That's good news huh?"

"Very. The next two days will seem so long. I just want to get away from this place." She said.