Welcome to the sequel!

Disclaimer: NOT MINE!! HP and Co. = JKR. Other characters and plot = Dani.

By the way, if you haven't read How Love Can Grow, YOU WILL BE LOST. Obviously AU since HLCG was written before OotP, so no spoilers, unless you haven't read books 1-4. Anything else I'm forgetting? No?

----------------------------------

Sirius' house had two bedrooms, both fairly big, a bathroom with a tub, a large kitchen with 3 cauldrons of different sizes, a balcony and a basement.

Harry was following Sirius to the basement when he saw a wooden door. It was closed.

He approached it and turned the knob. It was locked.

"Um, Sirius, what's in this room?" he called.

Sirius made a dash for the door and intended to cover it.

"Uh.. hehe.. nothing important. My um, private study room." he said.

Harry had a feeling Sirius was keeping something from him.

"Oh. Okay." he said and let Sirius hide whatever's in that room.

The two went to the basement and the moment Harry entered it, he sniffed the air. It smelt somewhat good, sort of flowery and yet smelt of trees at the same time.

"You smell that, too, eh? Sorry, I was experimenting about 17 years ago and it went wrong. Smelled like this ever since."

"No, I like it." he told him.

Harry's eyes wandered the basement. It fell on a few wizarding gadgets but the one that really caught his eye was a really old picture. Eight people were there. four boys of around their late teens and four girls of their same age. He started to look closely at the picture, from left to right. The first boy was a short one. He wasn't exactly the best looking guy around and he looked quite nervous. He was sitting down.

The next boy was good-looking and a little hairy. He had a mischievous smile and he was kneeling.

The boy next to him was the tallest of all four boys. He had black hair and a handsome smile. He also had his arms on the second boy and the one after him. The boy after him also had black hair, but his hair was darker. It was jet black and untidy. For a moment Harry was strongly reminded of himself but pushed the thought away for the boy was awful handsome. He also noticed that the boy had his arm around a girl's waist.

She had red hair and beautiful bright green eyes. She wore the prettiest smile that seemed so timid. She was standing, like the two boys before her. The girl next to her was standing, too. She had her eyes on the boy before the red-headed girl. She didn't wear a smile, too, more like an envious sort of look.

After her was another girl. She had her brown hair all tied up. She was also pretty and was smiling. She was kneeling, just like the other boy. The last one person in the picture was the other girl. She was blonde and quite pretty. She was standing like most of them. She smiled like most of them, too.

"Uh, Sirius, who are these people?"

Sirius went to him. "I thought I got rid of that." He joked. Somehow, Harry thought he wasn't joking.

"Well, who are they?" he asked, getting quite impatient.

"This is me." he said and pointed to the tallest of them all. "This is that good for nothing, Peter." he said pointing at the boy sitting. "That's Remus and next to me is your father. We were good looking when we were young, weren't we?" he said playfully.

"Is that mom?" he asked, pointing to the girl with red hair, the one his father had his arm around.

"Yeah. That's her alright. Since we were 15,your mom and dad were always together, the only time he wasn't was when he went on 'tours' with us three. Of course people back then said we were inseparable, your father and I."

"Who're the other three girls?" he asked, curious.

"Well, the one after your mom," he said, pointing to the girl who was looking at James. "Is obviously Liz. The one next to her is Mina Harper Lupin. Remus'...late wife..."

"And this one?" Harry asked, pointing to the girl with blonde hair.

Sirius stopped for a moment and then said, "Ariel Redfield. She was your mom's best friend, Mina's too. They were kind of like the girl versions of us four." he said slowly.

"Really? I never heard of her, well until now." he said, not meaning to sound rude.

"That's because..."he began. Unfortunately, they heard someone call upstairs.

"Anyone home?" asked a voice that could only belong to Lupin.

Sirius didn't finish the sentence he started and headed up the stairs.

"Looks like Remus found a way into our house without using a key." he joked.

The moment Harry was out of earshot, he muttered, "Saved by the friend."

Harry took a last look at the picture and headed up the stairs. He caught a few words Sirius and Lupin were saying.

"Remembered her again, didn't you? I thought you were over that...more specifically, her. She's not worth..."

"I know Remus...It's just...seeing her face again...and knowing she's..." Sirius said but was interrupted by a girl's voice.

"Um.. uncle Sirius? Can I raid your fridge?" she asked cheerfully.

"Uncle Sirius?" laughed Sirius. "Your father made you say that?"

"Hey, no way. Whatever comes out of her mouth, it wasn't from me." Lupin protested and at the same time, laughed.

"Just fooling. But can I still raid your fridge? And where's Harry?" Gabrielle asked all at once.

'You can and I don't know where he is. He was supposed to be in the basement but you'd better wait for him in the kitchen." said Sirius.

Harry heard this and went up the stairs.

"Hey Gabrielle." he greeted her on her way to the kitchen.

"Hi Harry. Just got back, huh? I merely just arrived home when dad told me we had to go here. They're probably discussing all about Hagrid's wedding right about now." she said, sitting on a chair.

He sat on another one.

"Why are they talking about it?" he asked, feeling stupid.

"I don't know. They have some sort of surprise I guess."

"Oh. I see. So how was Ron when you last saw him?'"

"He's good. I saw his two twin brothers and they were really funny. He introduced me to his mom, and she was really nice."

"Those are the Weasleys alright.' he said, shaking his head in amusement.

After trying to hold in what he wanted to ask, Harry finally blurted it out. "Do you know anybody named Ariel Redfield?" he asked eagerly.

"Ariel Redfield...hmmm...I can't say I do. Why? Should I?"

"Apparently, she and both our moms were all best friends, you know, Just like the Marauders." he told her.

She had the look of wonderment.

"But I've never heard dad mention her, let alone mom.. that's before she died."

"I still can't help but wonder...I really think there's more to her than just being a best friend to two people...there's gotta be a reason for why none of them has told us about her...I mean.."

"Yeah, I know." she said, agreeing.

They were both quiet for a moment. Harry was still wondering about Ariel and about his mom. Was she a Deatheater? Is that why Sirius didn't want to talk about it?

Gabrielle on the other hand, wasn't as curious as Harry about this matter. She found something to ask him, just to stop him from wondering so much.

"So are you and Hermione still just friends?"

It worked. Harry did stop thinking. He looked very surprised at the question, though.

"I um...hope not." he said, blushing.

"Oh really? So you're FINALLY admitting you like her again?'

'Well... 'like' is too weak of a word...I mean, yes. I do like her again."

Gabrielle beamed. "Harry...you don't love her, do you?" she asked, holding her face steady.

"I don't know...maybe...Ah, what the heck?" he said. "Yeah, I do. Happy?"

She giggled like mad.

"What's so funny?"

"You! Ickle Harry's in love!"

"You didn't know that? I thought I was last to know." he said, joining in the laughing.

"You're not the last to know." she said, stopping her laughter.

"Hermione is..."

Harry thought for a moment. "Well I did tell her I loved her...before."

"And how long was that?" asked Gabrielle, which made Harry's stomach grumble.

"Um...a few years ago?"

"Exactly! You see what you've done? Now, you'd better tell her you love her or you'll be hearing from me." she joked.

"Yes ma'am." he said, grinning.

"What are you kids talking about?" asked Sirius, coming in. Lupin wasn't far behind.