Hermione's eyes flew across the bound covers, her eyes taking less than a second to caress each title before moving on to the next one. It wasn't one of the newer books that she was looking for today, rather it was an older book that had somehow slipped past her years ago.
It was unbelievable, but even Ron, who never visited a library in his life, had heard of the book and she hadn't. It had been utterly mortifying, but Hermione was here to set it right. At least Ron hadn't read the book, she was certain that she would have died from embarrassment if that were the case, because the thought of Ronald Weasley even picking a book up for reading purposes was laughable.
She definitely didn't expect to meet another hand when she finally reached for the book in question. The book hadn't sounded popular enough to warrant another person searching for it at the same time as she was.
The other arm was connected to a man that was taller than she was. His brown eyes were several shades lighter than her own, and he wore a sheepish smile that looked oddly natural on his face. He didn't look too much older than she was.
"I take it you've also only just heard of the book then?" the man asked with a laugh. "I'm glad I'm not the only one, then. Staring blankly after Sirius mentioned a book to me was a rather shocking experience."
Hermione laughed. "I'm guessing this Sirius doesn't read much?"
"Nope. He is more of the sporty type. He has too much energy to actually sit still and read," the man said with a fond tone in his voice. "James isn't much better, although Lily tempers him a lot. It is rather amusing seeing a single woman cower the two of them with a stare."
"I'm left doing the same thing with my two friends. They tend to act first, think later while they're dealing with the consequences of their actions," Hermione huffed. Her eyes wound their way back up to the amused face of the man. "Oh! I've been so rude, I haven't introduced myself! I'm Hermione Granger."
The man smiled, "I'm Remus Lupin. It's a pleasure to meet you, Hermione."
And Hermione was glad to have a name for the man who provided such pleasant company: a real break from the whirlwind of mayhem that seemed to be her two best friends.
"I don't suppose it would be too forward of me to ask for your number? Perhaps you would be able to recommend some good books to me? And I'll return the favour, of course."
Remus smiled lightly, fishing his phone out of his pocket, "I don't see why not."
Written for The Ultimate Hermione Competition: Hermione/Remus
Written for Can You Do It AU Extravaganza: Bookshop!AU