Paranoia (Alastor Moody)

Chapter 3

It took many years for Natalie and Alastor to get into a relationship. For one thing, both of them never thought that the other could ever see themselves as such an item, and the other being that Natalie took longer to discover how she felt towards the young Moody.

Frankly, Natalie didn't see Alastor as the type of person she wanted to date, not the mention the fact that he didn't seem to want to date anyone. She just assumed he was content being single throughout their time at Hogwarts.

Natalie herself did want to date, and seemed to do a lot of it. She was that girl that always had a boyfriend (though she tried experimenting in fourth year-- wasn't a huge fan of that relationship, unfortunately).

In her sixth year, however, she found out Alastor's secret.

She was sitting in the Three Broomsticks with Al, when a cocky seventh year walked up to their table. He started flirting with Natalie-- very forthright, not the the least bit endearing. She wanted nothing to do with this boy, for he was being quite rude.

She told him as much, and that's when the boy got sour. He knew that Natalie had broken up with her previous boyfriend, and wanted to be the next. Once again, she declined his offer, but the boy wouldn't stop.

"You know, Thompson, she can't, and I'll tell you why: she's my girlfriend. You can't date her because she's dating me. And even if she wasn't dating me, she wouldn't go out with you, because you're a right prick. So why don't you leave her alone and find some other poor girl to seduce?"

Thompson looked Alastor in the eyes and let out a great laugh. "You? Date Taylor? You're joking, Moody. You could never get a girl like her. "

Alastor shot up from his chair and towered over the boy. "Yeah? What makes you think she'd ever go out with you? She is the smartest, kindest, most beautiful girl I've ever met, and you? You're nothing but a cocky, self-rightious jerk that wants nothing more than a good time. So I suggest you move along."

The boy walked away in defeat, leaving Al to enjoy his butterbeer. Natalie thanked him, and they kept on conversing.

That night, Natalie was in the shower. She went over the events that occurred in the pub, when it hit her: Al, her best friend fancied her.

How had she not seen it before? It was as plain as the nose in her face, yet somehow she missed it.

What's more is that he stood up for her, and it made her come to yet another realization: She may feel the same.