Chapter 1: Lily's POV

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A simple trip to the library was all that I wanted. A new book Severus recommended for potions class was my driving force for the visit.

I've always been uncharacteristically clumsy you see. I was constantly falling, my knees and shins proof of it. This time some one was there to catch me.

I was walking and the stairs suddenly shifted. I had been warned of this my first year. You would think that by the time I was a sixth-year I would have learned. But no. Instead my weight, which I was propelling up, was now propelling me down and straight for the cold, marble stairs.

Just then, right before my nose made impact with the hard marble of the Hogwarts stairs, long and lean arms caught me. They also lifted me back up to my feet.

"You should really be more careful you know," A smooth tenor voice said from behind. I jumped out of my skin as I realized it was a boy. I could only pray it wasn't Potter. Falling was embarrassing enough, but being picked up by a boy (especially a stuck-up, popular one) was an entirely different thing.

I turned around and came face-to-face with Remus Lupin, one of James Potter's flanks. His left-hand man.

I examined him for a moment, seeing if any of the rumors about him and the Marauders were true, or if they did him justice. Although barely any of the rumors revolved around him… His sandy long hair was falling into his lovely auburn eyes that seemed to sparkle with an undying hope, yet marred with a frustration and sadness that shouldn't have belonged to a sixteen-year-old boy. His full lips were pulled up into a smile, showing no teeth. It seemed his only flaw was a scar, marring one of his eyes. He attempted to conceal it with his long, shaggy locks. But nothing missed my examining.

I stared back into his eyes, slowly and carefully, examining their color, shape, and expression. I had never noticed how deep and intriguing they were. He held something back, had a wall up, but for the first time, I was able to see through that, even if it was just a little. They were like autumn, the time where leaves change their shades. I smirked as I compared his eyes to a ring of trees, the outside the most burnt, dark brown, slowly lightening up to a lovely yellow, while going through all the oranges and reds first. They were framed by a thick layer of dark, long lashes. He stared at me, and in that moment, I saw a secret. A big secret.

I had always wondered why Remus, shy, calm, collected, possibly stoic, Remus spent his time with the Marauders. Peter, Sirius and Potter were always mischievous, full of themselves, and the lady-men of the school. It was apparent to me however, that Remus had been underestimated. Not by me though, not anymore at least. He sparked something in my curiosity, and I had to know what he was hiding.

I collected myself before speaking, trying to hide my eyes and blush by brushing my hands off on my uniform. "Yes, I know full well how to be careful," I stated, "I just choose not to."

He chuckled, and asked, "Well, are you headed to the library? That's where I'm going, and I like to think I can stop you from falling again."

I stuck my tongue out at him, though I knew he meant it as a simple joke and waited for the stairs to move in the correct direction.

Lupin came to the step I was standing on, a whole three steps above his. It was then I realized just how tall he was. And how muscular. It was lean muscle though, not disgusting, and he certainly didn't want to show off his brawn as much as Potter did.

He dressed in baggy clothes, attempting to hide, but nothing could hide the hard muscle beneath. Clearly, he was humble.

"So, what do you need from the library?" I inquired, attempting to start a conversation with the mysterious, brooding boy.

"Just a book on Animingi, and possibly werewolves. They've always been a favorite of mine, those dark creatures." He laughed inwardly, as if at an inside joke.

"Well I'm going to get a book on potions." I said proudly. I knew it was a good book, after all, Sev had recommended it to me.

"Which one?" He asked with his brow furrowed. I could practically see the cogs turning in his head as he tried to think of possible explanations.

"Impossible Potions by Guffaw Gobsmack." I said proudly. I highly doubted he had heard of that one.

"Read that. You need something better, something more complicated." Remus said as the stairs stopped in front of the library. I was shocked and jealous. I wanted to show off to him.

He held out his hand in signal for me to go first. He was certainly the gentleman.

"Like what?" I asked curiously. It was clear this boy knew what he was talking about when it came to books.

We were instantly quieter as we entered our sanctuary. It was so peaceful there, it was home.

He grabbed my hand. A simple gesture, meant with no romantic feelings, and yet it sent electric shocks up my arm. I shivered. I had never felt like that before, let alone had someone give me that feeling.

I watched as he lead me deeper into the library, depths I had never seen before, until he sharply turned down an aisle and grabbed a faded, dusty book.

"This is all you need to ace Potions." He said with a glowing face. It was as if he were proud of the book, and proud to have read it. I smiled at how something as simple as a book could make Remus Lupin, mysterious sad, boy, that happy.

I looked at the title. Everything Potions by Anonymous.

I stared up, one eyebrow arched. He knew immediately what I was skeptical about. Usually books with anonymous authors were so dangerous and awful, authors couldn't bring themselves to even write their name.

He shrugged, and ease swept over me. I had a feeling he would tell me if there were something wrong with that book.

Remus grabbed another dusty book down from the shelf, and this one did look rather dangerous. For when he opened it, it was filled with graphic drawings and pictures. I knew it was his book.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later then. In potions maybe…" I said, but his nose was buried deep in his book, and he was long gone.

For whatever reason, I walked out of the library with a smug smile.

After all, I had just spent the hour with Remus Lupin.