Title Eye of the Beholder
Rating PG
Pairing Moody/Tonks
Disclaimer I own all the books and all the DVDs..but, that's about it.
XxXxX
He had always been able to see through everyone, all of his life. Even when he didn't have his 'mad eye', he could still see straight through people. To their soul. Moody had just always been that kind of insightful person. Yet, he..could never seem to look through her. She was..too unpredictable. And too odd. And it..frightened him, in a way. Alastor always did like the unknown, but still, his human instincts told him to be cautious of what it may bring.
He should've been more cautious.
Tonks' wit and sense of humor had always..stupefied him. And her characteristics..they just didn't fit into the category of what he would classify as his 'type of woman'. She was messy. She was unorganized. She was...different. Moody was different himself, but still. That wasn't the point.
He liked intelligent women. He liked clean women. He liked..strange women. Strange, she was.
But Alastor was old, and she was young. He was scarred, while she was flawless. He was bitter, while she was outgoing.
'Too many differences,' he thought.
And too many things alike.
Flashback
"Having problems, Mad-Eye?" Tonks asked him, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
Moody scowled. "Damn eye," he muttered. "Thing won't go back in…"
"I'll take that as a 'yes'," The girl laughed. She watched him, her bubblegum hair shining in the moonlight. "What'cha doing out here, anyways?"
"Thinking," He grunted, still trying to pop his eye back in.
"Ah." Tonks nodded her head understandingly. "But of course, nothing like a little starlight to help you think." The girl smiled at him.
Mad-Eye grunted in agreement.
"What'cha thinking about?"
Moody glared at her. "You ask too many questions." The male scowled once more.
Tonks laughed. A sound like young glasses tinkling together. "I only asked three," She responded, smirking a little.
"That's too many," Moody said, shaking his head. He looked out at the sky, thinking about everything. About the past, about the future, about his future, and everything that's happened. It seemed like so much to think about, yet all the thoughts spinning in his head weren't enough to satisfy him.
"Well, Mad-Eye, I'm tired." As if to emphasize her point, Tonks yawned. "I'm thinking about going to bed. What about you? You gonna stay out here all night?"
"Another question," Moody growled.
Tonks laughed again. "That's not an answer, you know."
Alastor turned to her. Finally, after a pause, he answered, "Maybe."
The girl grinned. "Still not an answer." Moody sent her his most intimidating glare, but she just smiled. "You gonna tell me what you were thinking about?"
"No," Alastor replied sharply.
There was the glasses tinkling, again. "Oh, c'mon. You're no fun."
After a moment, Mad-Eye Moody asked, "Why'd you come out here?"
"Ha! Now you asked a question," Tonks yelled, giggling. Seeing him scowl again, she answered, "Well, it's not everyday you see Mad-Eye Moody just spending his time thinking." She winked at him.
"I always think, unlike most people around here."
Tonks smirked. "Yeah, but what do you think about?"
Moody squinted at her. "Didn't I tell you before I wasn't going to tell you that?"
"Well, damn. I was hoping you wouldn't remember that," Tonks said playfully.
Shaking his head, the male turned back to the midnight sky. 'When is she going to bed?' He asked himself mentally.
"Sure is beautiful tonight," The woman in question stated, distracting Moody from his thoughts. "You know what I like about the midnight sky, Mad-Eye?" He simply stared at her, and when he didn't answer she went on. "It always changes. Every night. The moon looks different, different stars are shining, in all different places. So mysterious and unique."
Alastor grunted again. "I hate change."
Tonks stared at him. "Why's that?"
Surprisingly, the man answered her. "Things never change for the better," he replied fiercely. "Never."
Tonks shook her head. "That's not true," She said softly. "If things didn't change, people wouldn't be born, or ever fall in love, or ever feel happiness, or anything like that." Moody didn't say anything. He just continued to stare at the sky, unaware that the girl was still looking at him.
"And," she continued, "some things need to change. I mean, if things started off bad, wouldn't you want them to change? So they could get better?"
Finally, Moody spoke. "You think change is beautiful; I don't. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, haven't you ever heard that?"
Tonks nodded. "Well, I guess I'm not gonna be able to change your mind about change.." Tonks laughed at the way that sounded. "But, you know, if you changed your mind about change, that would be for the better. No sense in thinking negative about it, when it has some positives, too."
Silence fell between them, before Tonks added, "But you are right about one thing, Mad-Eye. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." She hesitated, then smiled sleepily at him. "G'night, Mad-Eye."
Moody watched the young girl go back inside, leaving him alone to his own thoughts again.
'Change..Tonks is like change..like the sky, as she said. But change..change is always for the bad. But Tonks..always changes. I never thought change was beautiful; I should've known that, apparently, she did. But..the way she makes it sound..as if change can be beautiful.. Though...beauty is in the eye of the beholder..' he thought. Suddenly, a realization struck him. 'Tonks said eye of the beholder..not eyes of the beholder..'
End flashback
And Moody had only one real eye.
End.
