"A Simple Gesture"
by Christine Anderson
aka Lilly Malfoy

He will always remember that day, the hour and the moment when his life changed forever- the day in which his world was transformed.

She stood before him, tall and proud in her blue Auror's robes, trying to hide her nervousness. They were strangers then, but he was a legend, and her idol, little though he knew it. He had known so little then- so little of her, or of what would grow between them.

Looking at her, he had seen things he had not beheld in decades. She looked at him the way Aurors and their apprentices once had, in the days before they called him insane and paranoid. She did not see Mad-Eye Moody when she looked at him, as so many of them did now, but Auror Moody; She looked upon him with respect and a professional camaraderie he seldom saw outside the Order of the Phoenix- or even within it.

It was such a simple thing, but it had meant so much, even then. Later it would come to mean so much more.

She was beautiful. And though he had known beautiful women in his time, he could not recall a woman like this.

She did not carry herself as many beautiful women did, as if she knew how beautiful she was, but rather as if she didn't. She bore herself like a woman to whom looks were mostly irrelevant. She was very clearly not a vain woman by any means.

Later he would learn she thought herself plain, and he would be stunned.

She smiled, then, a smile of genuine warmth and kindness. It was a nice smile, but what he liked best about it was its honesty.

What could he have done, save look up from his work and return that smile?

She had been sent on a routine errand from the one who taught her class, who was an old acquaintance of Moody's. It did not take her long to deliver her message, and when that was done, where others would have been scrambling for words, anxious to leave as soon as possible, she settled into the chair he had offered her, and asked a question- an intelligent question, no less!- about his work.

Overall he found himself impressed by her honesty, her integrity. She had principals and she would not break them. She had honor and kindness, and an innocence of the sort he knew she was bound to lose.

Her question surprised him, really- it was not the sort of thing most would have asked. Most would wish to know- or thought that they did- how he lost his leg, his eye. Most wished to hear of his legendary work.

Penelope Clearwater wished to discuss books. Which texts had they used in his day, and had he found them useful?

Most, he told her, were good, solid books. He gave the authors and titles, and she nodded in recognition. But he also recalled the quite memorable time one particular idiot of a professor had attempted to foist off that travesty of a Slinkhard text upon them, and so he told her about that, too.

"I heard about that book," she said. "That professor wasn't Dolores Umbridge by chance, was it?"

Moody shuddered. "No, no- that particular idiot was rather similar. Male, though every bit as horrid a teacher as Umbridge. Were you unfortunate enough to have her in classes?"

Penelope shook her head. "No, thank gods. I left Hogwarts the year before-" He could not help wincing slightly then. He hoped she might not notice his reaction, but it was fairly clear she had.

"I'm sorry," she said, ducking her head in embarrassment. "I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

"It's alright," he said. "Hardly your fault the year you left school was a bad one for me."

"No, I suppose not," she replied. "But..."

"Never mind it, lass," he said kindly. "Did you know Umbridge, then?"

"Not as such," she said. "I knew- well, I thought I knew someone who thought quite well of her. It turns out," She shook her head, "I didn't know him at all."

"And now I'm the one who's brought up a sore subject. I'm sorry."

"Not your fault," she said. "It was just a rather bad breakup."

"I am sorry," he said again. "Was this recently?"

"Not really," she said. "About two years ago. Percy hadn't wanted me to be an Auror, and when he realized I was serious about it, well- We had a huge row, and I walked out. He calls me Ms. Clearwater now when we meet- like he doesn't even know me."

"He is a crazy man, and a fool," Moody said.

"Do you think so?" Penelope asked. He heard the tremor in her voice, though he tried very hard not to.

"Yes. And I'm sorry for that. It's that way sometimes. I knew a woman once..." He sighed. "Well, I thought I knew her."

Penelope laid a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry."

It was all he could do to keep from trembling at that touch. "Not your fault, lass."

"I know," she said quietly.

He laid his hand over hers, then slowly took it in his.

"They say you are crazy, you know," she said. "Are you?"

"No," he whispered, and kissed her softly. "No, lass, I'm not."