(no subject)
Title: Fine
Summary: Moody had been sent to deal with Longbottom after news of his relationship with Alice Pendleton got out.
Characters: Alastor Moody, Frank/Alice
Rating: PG
Note: written for the first love_lingers Mid-Month Challenge. I've actually had this done for a couple weeks now. Just never seemed to find the time to post.
"I guess you know why you're here, then?" Alastor Moody asked gruffly, looking across his desk at Frank Longbottom.
Longbottom, for his part, had enough sense to nod.
Thompson had seen Frank Longbottom and Alice Pendleton snogging at some club Friday night. Now, Monday, the entire office was buzzing that Frank, recently accepted as a full Auror, was dating a trainee. Everyone in the office were a fat bunch of gossips, the load of them.
"Are you helping her cheat?" Moody continued.
A look of horror passed across Longbottom's face. "No! No. I mean, I'm not. Even if I wanted to help her, she'd never let me. She wouldn't do that," he said in a rush.
"I thought as much." In Moody's mind, the rumour had more to do with the blokes in the office who weren't too keen on witches becoming Aurors. Pendleton wouldn't be the first witch to get a placement, but there hadn't been many and the idea still seemed to sit wrong with some of the others. As long as she performed well enough to do the job and not get herself killed, Moody didn't give a rat's arse about her being a woman.
But still, he had been made to deal with Longbottom. "Can't ask you to stop seeing her, the department doesn't have any policies against this sort of thing. But it's a fair bet they will soon," he said grimly, before Longbottom had a chance to get hopeful.
"I'd give it some serious thought. Might come a situation one day when you have to choose between your girl and the mission and then what are you going to do? Constant vigilance, Longbottom," he said gruffly. "And in the mean time, some discretion would be nice."
Frank looked up at his superior. "Oh, that won't be too hard. She's not speaking to me at the moment." He paused. "It was my idea to go to the club."
Alice didn't stay angry at him. The two of them kept their relationship quiet, right up to the point where they got married. First wedded Auror couple in history. Moody was at the ceremony. Longbottom was a damn fool over her and in spite of everything, the relationship worked. Though Moody made sure they were never scheduled on the same mission.
Three years after the two of them married, Moody was standing watch as Alice gave birth to their first child. She was in bed now, holding the baby and looking tired. Just inside the door frame, Moody gave Frank a short jerk of the head. He waited while Longbottom ran his hand lovingly over the hair matted to his wife's forehead and kissed his son. Then he was following Moody out into the hall.
Gone was Frank's expression of joy as he announced the baby was a boy. That grim and guarded look was back. It was the look of a man two steps away from having everything fall out from under him. Frank and Alice had been wearing it for awhile.
"Got a message about the Potters," Moody began. "Lily had the baby tonight too. Another boy. Born almost an hour after yours. Just after midnight."
Longbottom took several long moments processing that. "But...but what does it mean? Does that mean the Potters...?” He didn't finish.
"Don't know anything yet. Dumbledore's trying to sort it out. But right now looks like it could still be either one of you."
Frank's face fell subtly and the caution came back into his eyes. "Right," he said, all Auror now. "We'll stay here tonight. Tomorrow too, I think. Then as soon as Alice is ready, we'll move on." He nodded. "We'll be fine."
Longbottom turned, returning to the bedroom. He drew a chair up to the bed and settled in, taking his son from his sleepy wife.
Moody nodded and went to check the strength of the perimeter protection spells.
Summary: Moody had been sent to deal with Longbottom after news of his relationship with Alice Pendleton got out.
Characters: Alastor Moody, Frank/Alice
Rating: PG
Note: written for the first love_lingers Mid-Month Challenge. I've actually had this done for a couple weeks now. Just never seemed to find the time to post.
"I guess you know why you're here, then?" Alastor Moody asked gruffly, looking across his desk at Frank Longbottom.
Longbottom, for his part, had enough sense to nod.
Thompson had seen Frank Longbottom and Alice Pendleton snogging at some club Friday night. Now, Monday, the entire office was buzzing that Frank, recently accepted as a full Auror, was dating a trainee. Everyone in the office were a fat bunch of gossips, the load of them.
"Are you helping her cheat?" Moody continued.
A look of horror passed across Longbottom's face. "No! No. I mean, I'm not. Even if I wanted to help her, she'd never let me. She wouldn't do that," he said in a rush.
"I thought as much." In Moody's mind, the rumour had more to do with the blokes in the office who weren't too keen on witches becoming Aurors. Pendleton wouldn't be the first witch to get a placement, but there hadn't been many and the idea still seemed to sit wrong with some of the others. As long as she performed well enough to do the job and not get herself killed, Moody didn't give a rat's arse about her being a woman.
But still, he had been made to deal with Longbottom. "Can't ask you to stop seeing her, the department doesn't have any policies against this sort of thing. But it's a fair bet they will soon," he said grimly, before Longbottom had a chance to get hopeful.
"I'd give it some serious thought. Might come a situation one day when you have to choose between your girl and the mission and then what are you going to do? Constant vigilance, Longbottom," he said gruffly. "And in the mean time, some discretion would be nice."
Frank looked up at his superior. "Oh, that won't be too hard. She's not speaking to me at the moment." He paused. "It was my idea to go to the club."
Alice didn't stay angry at him. The two of them kept their relationship quiet, right up to the point where they got married. First wedded Auror couple in history. Moody was at the ceremony. Longbottom was a damn fool over her and in spite of everything, the relationship worked. Though Moody made sure they were never scheduled on the same mission.
Three years after the two of them married, Moody was standing watch as Alice gave birth to their first child. She was in bed now, holding the baby and looking tired. Just inside the door frame, Moody gave Frank a short jerk of the head. He waited while Longbottom ran his hand lovingly over the hair matted to his wife's forehead and kissed his son. Then he was following Moody out into the hall.
Gone was Frank's expression of joy as he announced the baby was a boy. That grim and guarded look was back. It was the look of a man two steps away from having everything fall out from under him. Frank and Alice had been wearing it for awhile.
"Got a message about the Potters," Moody began. "Lily had the baby tonight too. Another boy. Born almost an hour after yours. Just after midnight."
Longbottom took several long moments processing that. "But...but what does it mean? Does that mean the Potters...?” He didn't finish.
"Don't know anything yet. Dumbledore's trying to sort it out. But right now looks like it could still be either one of you."
Frank's face fell subtly and the caution came back into his eyes. "Right," he said, all Auror now. "We'll stay here tonight. Tomorrow too, I think. Then as soon as Alice is ready, we'll move on." He nodded. "We'll be fine."
Longbottom turned, returning to the bedroom. He drew a chair up to the bed and settled in, taking his son from his sleepy wife.
Moody nodded and went to check the strength of the perimeter protection spells.