The library was a sanctuary from his friends. Remus loved his friends, wanted more than anything to spend time with them, except for when they had large assignments due and his friends didn't want to focus on them. Which was, unsurprisingly, their current circumstances. They needed to write sixteen inches on Skele-Gro and its functions. First of all, James and Sirius didn't even like potions very much and they were only in the class to become aurors. Secondly, they were furious about the length of the assignment too because it was "too long" and "essentially torture."

So Remus took shelter in the library. Peter wasn't in potions anymore, so on occasion he would come sit with Remus on occasion and bring him snacks and work on his own assignments. Their table was only half full of people, but Remus had filled it with books on potions so he'd be well informed on what he was writing. The stacks acted like a shield so others didn't bother him.

Friday afternoon quickly turned to Friday night. Other students filed out of the library for dinner, but Remus stayed so he could finish the potions essay quickly and have more free time over the weekend. He enjoyed the peaceful flickering flames, the way they stretched the letters on the pages and warmed his chilled fingers. He flipped the page on a book he was looking at, eyes skimming over the words before he realized he hadn't actually thoroughly read what was on the last page.

Remus groaned. He'd been at the table for hours and working hard, and he still had another two inches left to write. James and Sirius would just start to write bigger, but Remus couldn't allow himself to do that. He needed to produce top quality work because surely the ministry would know that he was a werewolf and he had to have top marks if he wanted them to even consider giving him a job.

Still, he took a moment for himself to lean back in his chair and rub his hands over his eyes. He needed a minute or two, nothing more, before his focus came back and he could finish what he was writing.

The moment, however, was when he noticed a girl with her head bent over a book, eyes skimming over the pages. She was diagonal from him, and Remus didn't think she'd noticed him at all. There were no books in front of her which meant that she was probably just reading through dinner for fun.

He must have been staring too long, because suddenly their eyes were meeting and she smiled and offered him a small wave. Remus blushed and nodded once before sliding down in his chair, ducking below his book stack, and writing an embarrassed sentence on his parchment. The embarrassment got him moving again so he was able to write some more.

Remus didn't look towards Wallace again that evening. He managed to finish the essay for potions and then packed up his things, sending his books back to their shelves with a wave of his wand. He left the library and headed back to the common room, ready for bed.

Time must have passed quite quickly because the corridors were nearly empty and Remus realized he was exhausted. Once he made it back to the common room, he saw his friends sitting by the fire playing exploding snap and waved at them. Peter waved back while Sirius held his fist in the air and James gave him a salute. Remus laughed and then headed up the stairs quickly so that he could change into pajamas and climb in bed. He passed Lily, who waved and Remus offered her a good night. And then he was safely in his dormitory, changed, and comfortably in bed.

He fell asleep almost immediately.

Remus didn't dream, or at least he didn't remember it. His night was peaceful, even through the quiet bickering of his friends as they came into the dormitory and got ready for bed. The night seemed to pass too quickly, because before he knew it, morning had come and sunlight flitted through the windows, hitting him squarely in the face. Remus turned over in bed, groaning, not wanting to wake up yet. Everything had been so peaceful, happy.

But alas, it was time. He knew it, and it was fine. Remus got up and stretched, tossing a pillow at James and then a shoe at Sirius to get them to wake up. Peter was already dressed and eating a banana on his bed. "The hell, Moony, a shoe?" Sirius complained, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

"I'm thinking Hogsmeade," Remus replied.

"It's not one of the weekends," James said.

Remus raised an eyebrow. "Has that ever stopped us before?"

Sirius laughed. "He's got a point, you know."

Half an hour later they were all dressed and ready to go. The pathway to Honeydukes was quick and easy, and they spent the walk jostling each other, laughing. The day brought them too much chocolate and gave Remus a chance to pick up a few new books that he'd been interested in since the annual trip to Florish and Blotts at the beginning of the year. He hadn't bought them then, but his father always sent along some money for Hogsmeade weekends and Remus wanted something to read that belonged to him. They stopped at the Three Broomsticks for butterbeer and spent the afternoon drinking and talking and playing a muggle card game that Peter had picked up on a trip with his mother. Remus was content. It was a good day, a great day, with his friends, before the world got too serious for all of them.

But the next day was Sunday and his friends had put off their assignments for days at that point, and found themselves crowded together in the common room with parchment splayed everywhere and books piled high next to them. Remus had his work done, and helped them for a while before taking one of his new defense books up to the library. It was nice enough outside for students to study, which meant most of them had bookbags slung over their shoulders and were walking to the grounds. Remus passed them on his way upstairs and happily found his table empty. The other students would come to get books, on occasion, but it was mostly quiet and peaceful.

The book was interesting enough, and Remus kicked his feet up on the chair opposite himself to get more comfortable. He turned another page and continued along, reading happily until he heard the scraping of a chair a few tables over. He glanced up and saw Wallace with her own books, already deeply absorbed. Remus squinted a bit to see what she was reading - it looked to him like a muggle novel. He smiled a bit, just for a moment, before going back to his own book.

The afternoon stayed quiet for a solid two hours with himself and Wallace reading at their respective tables. Remus glanced at her on occasion, and every now and then they made eye contact and they both would blush and look away. When it got later and Remus's stomach started rumbling, he got up and stretched a bit before stuffing his book in his bookbag.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Wallace doing the same, and Remus took a second of weird courage to walk over to her. She smiled, friendly as ever. "Hi there," she smiled. "Did you need something?"

"Are you heading down to dinner?" he asked.

"Thinking about it," she replied. "Why?"

"I mean, we're heading to the same place. Want to walk together?"

Wallace blushed which had Remus doing the same. "Sure," she said, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"You already done with all the homework for the weekend?"

"Of course," she said. "You as well?"

"Finished it Friday," he replied as they headed out of the library. Remus didn't really talk to Wallace very much, because they weren't really friends even though they were in the same year and house. But he knew she was nice, so chatting with her felt easy albeit a little awkward.

"Well that's good," she said. "I've always tried convincing my friends that they should work earlier and then I'm alone on Sunday afternoons."

Remus chuckled a bit. "Yeah, I can relate."

"Well of course," she said. "Your friends do the same. I'd think Peter would have a little more work done, but he does really take after James and Sirius." He couldn't help but feel a little surprised that she knew that and the look on his face must have given it away. "I'm observant," she said. "They're always packed in the common room doing homework on Sundays."

"You're right," Remus smiled. "It's exactly what they do."

She chuckled and continued talking to him on the way down to dinner. Once they got to the great hall, Wallace waved and they parted ways.

Remus saw Peter sitting with Lily, so he headed towards the two of them and sat down. "Work get done well enough, Pete?"

"I finished," Peter said. "James and Sirius are still upstairs working on it."

"We'll bring them sandwiches," Remus replied.

Lily smiled. "That's sweet of you."

Remus smiled a bit and started eating. Dinner that evening was nice and peaceful, and afterwards, Remus and Peter brought sandwiches upstairs for James and Sirius to eat. They were still knee-deep in books, but Remus could tell they were almost done. They were just perfecting things. They didn't love admitting it, but both of them were smart and worked really hard on the assignments they submitted.

Peter took his seat back next to their friends while Remus made his way upstairs. Sleep mercifully captured him after a few minutes and he drifted off into a peaceful, quiet world.

Remus spent most of his afternoons in the library and had for the last six years as well. Yet he'd never noticed, at least not before, that Wallace was essentially a constant companion. Her spot would change depending on how full the library was, but she was always there reading a book or working on an assignment. He took some time now and then to wave or smile or occasionally walk with her back to the common room or to meals. Wallace was good company even if he was a little envious of her. They'd finished with their lessons on the patronus charm and Remus had yet to produce anything more than a tiny wisp. Granted his friends only produced silver shields, nothing corporeal, so he wasn't too far behind them. Yet he couldn't help but remember the way Wallace had produced a full bodied one, the way she'd smiled and everyone had complimented her on it.

He was ashamed that he couldn't do more. Which was why, one Friday afternoon when it was getting relatively chilly outside and the library was crowded, Remus found himself walking over to Wallace's table. He thought it was a moment of courage, a moment where he was willing to ask for help - something he'd do with any professor, but not necessarily a student. Or at least someone who wasn't James or Sirius.

Wallace looked up when he approached and smiled. "Hello, Lupin," she said, friendly. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Remus felt his cheeks heat up. "I...Well you see, I've been thinking about the patronus charm?" She nodded, eyes just a little wide, questioning him without words. "You said your dad showed you how?"

"He did," she smiled. "Drilled it in, practically. Why?"

"Do you think you could teach me?" he asked.

"Teach you?"

"Well, yeah," Remus said. "All I could make was this wisp. And practicing on my own hasn't helped at all."

She smiled again. She was always smiling, always friendly. "Well sure then," she said. "Of course. Though I can't promise how wonderful of a teacher I'll be."

Remus smiled too. "I wouldn't worry about it. I'm a good student."

She laughed. "Quite good, yes. Shall we say tomorrow? To practice?"

"Tomorrow would work," he agreed. "Thank you, Wallace. I appreciate it."

She waved and he waved too before going to find his friends.