Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody: "__" Would Include...

Alastor Moody's Reaction to Someone Falling in Love with Him

● He'd ignore it. He was just imagining things. There's no way someone like you would want to be with him. You were just being kind. Yes, just friendly. You probably saw him as a wounded creature in need of care.

● He'd suppress his own feelings. He respected you too much to ever put you in an awkward position. Besides, the last thing he wanted was for you to call him a perverted old man.

● He'd be jealous of other men. One of his least favorite sights is walking into the kitchen to find you laughing at one of Sirius' jokes. It's a stark reminder of his shortcomings. After all, what can he offer you? He's not known for his emotional sensitivity, nor his romantic prowess. "I'm an old war dog," he'd growl with a tired sigh, scrubbing a hand over his scarred features.

● He'd give you space. You wouldn't be the first person to flounder around him. Aware of his off-putting appearance, he'd make a point of avoidance, attempting to spare you from any discomfort. This would, of course, lead to his shock when Tonks tells him you think he hates you. Note: If she's aware of your feelings for him, Tonks would absolutely play matchmaker.

● Lots of 'Almost' Moments. Alastor is a stubborn man. Expect many heated moments in which you almost, almost kiss...only for him to pull away.

Note: Being protective of you, Alastor wouldn't want to condemn you to a life with him. After all, he's very aware of his 'shortcomings'. It wouldn't be until he sees how miserable you are that he'd truly accept that you'd fallen in love with him.

● Extreme Denial. No, he couldn't care for you. It'd be a blatant liability. Over time, however, his views would shift. No, he couldn't care for you—not openly, at least. He'd developed countless enemies over his career. Just the thought of them targeting you? We can only imagine the nightmares he'd have about it.

● He'd be your shoulder to cry on. Just because he's deep in denial doesn't mean he loves you any less. On the contrary, he's simply convinced himself you could never feel the same. Keeping a keen eye on you, he'd quickly learn to identify bad days.

BONUS:

Feeling like an utter imbecile, Alastor would gruffly sit beside you at the kitchen table. Lips pursed in thought, he'd study you for several moments. What should he say? Realizing he'd been scowling at you, he'd quickly pull out his flask, pouring some of its contents into a cup and passing it to you.

You stared at the settling liquid. Had he just...? Alastor struggled not to squirm as you gaped at him, averting his gaze as he tucked the flask into his breast pocket.

"I...Thank you."

He gave a grunt. Translation: You're welcome.

You took a gulp. "Gah!" Sputtering, you gave a mortifying sound–half choke, half wheeze as the whiskey burned your throat. Eyes watering, you blinked at him.

Wait, was he...? No. Still, you could have sworn you saw him smile.