Book Five: Harry Snape and The Order of The Phoenix

Chapter Seventy-Four: Family Picnic

Just a quick note from the author: Hey guys, I figured that instead of having a really short chapter of tying up some loose ends, that I would do it in the beginning of this one instead. Oh and btw, this book is really the beginning of Draco's and Hermione's romantic relationship and it's going to get rather fluffy. Don't like? Might as well stop reading now.

The news of Cedric's death came as a humongous shock to everyone at Hogwarts, but not as big of a shock as the fact that Harry had told them that Voldemort was back. Mad-Eye Moody really turned out to be Barty Crouch Junior that was setting out to kill Harry, but after Dumbledore and Severus had stopped him and poured truth serum down his throat, he confessed and revealed himself and was sent back to Azkaban and Severus Snape got his Polyjuice potion back.

Dumbledore had decided to cancel the house cup since it would not be right to celebrate after a student had been murdered and they had a funeral for him instead. Harry was extremely upset because he couldn't take Spike back on the train with him, but his father promised him that they would fight to get him back and after winning a court case they did and the wizard law that dragon ownership was illegal was changed and Spike was now legally owned by Harry.

Evie was now home from the wizarding hospital and Lily tried super hard to swallow everything that had happened to her son in the past year but was just rather relieved that he was alright. Now it was July 31st, Harry's fifteenth birthday which had meant that it had been ten years since he had gone from Harry Potter to Harry Snape. Sarah had already been a teenager for a few months now, and today the Snape family would be celebrating ten years of being together by having a family picnic.

Of course, since they had a rather small family, the Weasleys and their other friends Neville, Luna, Hermione, and Draco would be invited as well. Harry had just hoped and prayed that this would be a chance for them to speak to each other once again. That morning he was awoken by a blood-curdling scream coming from his younger sister Sarah's bedroom.

Severus and Lily both came racing towards her. "What is it darling? What's wrong?" Lily questioned her daughter anxiously before she slowly spun around, and Severus rolled his eyes while he looked down at her pants.

"Our daughter just became a young lady that's what's wrong." He told her as he pointed to the stain. "Apparently you haven't talked to her about menstruation yet." He said as Lily looked sheepishly up at him.

"I was getting to it." She replied quietly. "Come on Sally, I have some female products that you can choose from in the bathroom." She told her before taking her arm and leading her inside and shutting the door behind her. Harry was glad that puberty for him only meant a deeper voice and that he would have to start shaving soon.

Later that day the Snape family met everybody else at Godric's Park. Sarah couldn't wait to see Ginny and tell her how excited she was that she would be allowed to go to Hogsmeade this year. Meanwhile, Hermione was just starting to worry about passing her OWL's when suddenly she felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to see Draco standing there in front of her.

"What do you want?" She questioned him reluctantly while narrowing her eyebrows and glaring at him.

"Just to talk is all. Look, I had to lie to my mum and tell her you weren't going to be here just so I could come and see you. If that doesn't tell you that you're important to me then I don't know what does." He told her.

"Well then you shouldn't have insulted one of my friends." She told him.

"I know and for the record I'm sorry. I just really miss talking to you. Can't we please just be friends again?" He asked her while gently taking her hand and gazing into her eyes and Ginny just snickered as she watched them from afar while Severus setup the picnic blanket.

"If that's being friends with her, I wonder what it would look like if they were actually dating." She said as Harry turned to look at her.

"They're fifteen years old now." He began. "It's definitely a possibility."

"Yeah well he better watch himself that's all I have to say." Severus growled.

"Wait a second, why are you so upset?" Ron wondered. "You were the one who suggested that they go to the Yule Ball together last year." He pointed out.

"I know that, but as her teacher I don't want her going too fast is all." Severus began glancing over at him. "Otherwise, I'll have to kill him. Or at least expel him." He finished as Lily rolled her eyes at him.

"I think they'll be alright, as they seem just fine to me." She told him while she turned her head and smiled over at the two teenagers who were now swimming, playing together, and splashing each other in the pond down the hill. "James and I used to fool around together like that. Something tells me that those two are crazy for one another. They just don't know it yet." She said with a wink as Severus chuckled.

"And I do believe they're currently the only ones who don't." He told her before they exchanged a kiss on the lips and sat down and started to eat their lunch. A little while later there was a sudden change in weather and it started pouring rain and Hermione jumped up out of the water and started to screech.

"Draco!" She cried but he simply just turned over towards her and started to laugh.

"You're already wet what's the difference?" He questioned her before she started racing back up the hill.

"I'm freezing my butt off!" She cried out before he laughed again and put her on top of his back.

"Don't worry Granger. I'll warm you up." He told her before they both exchanged warm and loving smiles and left the park together.