"You should tell him, you know," a familiar voice softly said from behind her. "I know you love him." "Remus," she began turning around to face her friend, "You know I can't do that. He's my best friend, and h-he's in love with his perfect Lily-flower," Elsie sighed as tears began forming in her eyes. "But, Elsie... you don't see the way he looks at you, he-," his sentence was cut off by the girl with tears running down her face. "I don't see how he looks at me, but I see how he looks at her! And, t-that's enough to know that I will n-never be good enough to be with h-him," she snapped through stifled words. "But why don't you just tell him? Why don't you let yourself have a chance at happiness for once?" he asked stepping forwards, wiping her cheeks with his thumbs. "Because...loving him is a losing game. Either way, I'm the one getting hurt," Elsie whispered, falling into the arms of the boy in front of her. SLOW BURN {extended summary inside} (All characters, plots, and aspects of this story belonging to the Harry Potter Universe are credited to JK Rowling.)

The Marauders are starting their fifth year at Hogwarts; Remus is starting with a massive scar across his face - a byproduct of the increasing severity of his furry little problem, which is a definite cause for concern despite his insistence that it it's fine. Sirius is starting with the memories of a certain morning at 12 Grimmauld Place in August: memories that he might not ever forget, yet is desperate to cloak underneath the facade that every is fine at home and that he and his parents just sometimes encounter minor disagreements. James is starting his fifth year, yes, but more importantly, he is starting phase five of his plan to woo Lily Evans: somehow his friends seem doubtful that he might succeed, but James, being James, is in no lack of confidence. And Peter, well, Peter is starting to wonder just why he puts up with these people, and if he should really be feeling sorry for Lily Evans, and maybe if he should have asked to have been sorted into Hufflepuff.