Title: Magical Matches

Author: Zanthia

Disclaimers: No these characters are not mine, though I wish they were.

A/N: This is from Lotm's challenge based on the popular MLC, which is called the YLC Challenge. Read it either at MoITWF, or over at WIKTT. Great idea, if I do say so myself. So this is my run on it, and I hope that I don't mutilate the whole premise behind the challenge in the process. If I do, I am truly sorry, and please find it in your hearts to forgive me.

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Writing is a lot like sex. At first you do it because you like it. Then you find yourself doing it for a few close friends and people you like. But if you're any good at all...you end up doing it for money.
--Unknown

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Hermione paused while in mid-spear of a defenseless sausage on her breakfast plate when a large brown post owl swooped down and dropped a crimson letter right next to her cup of coffee.

Who would be writing me, she wondered, setting down her fork and grabbing the offending letter. She glanced around the great hall quickly, wondering who would be writing her. Especially with such fancy stationary to boot. Ron and Harry kept to simple white paper. Crimson added just a little extra special something to make her wonder what it was about. It wasn't Valentine's Day, so what ever could it be?

A simple flick of her finger broke the gold seal, and she proceeded to pull out the many pages inside.

Yenta's Livery Company
"A Happy Marriage is an Arranged Marriage!"

Greetings, Miss Granger;

The Yenta Livery Company would like to be the first Geneamorological Agency you consider when you decide to begin the search for your soul mate.

We, at The Yenta Livery Company, only use the most highly developed and most highly effective methods in the mate selection process. We employ only the best of the best in the fields of Divination, Ancient Runes, Astronomy, Arithmancy, and Muggle Psychology. You are guaranteed the best match, and we stand firmly behind our beliefs.

Enclosed with this letter you will find several brochures not only about The Yenta Livery Company, but also about proper mate selection as well. All of which are certain to answer any an all questions, or possibly even fears, you may have about future mate selection. Also enclosed, is a copy of the law number and its description according to The Ministry of Magic, Department of Genealogical Suitability. (Item 23, Paragraph 394, Lines 5-11) Please pay special detail to this; after all, it is the law!

The final step in order to become a registered future-mate is to fill out the enclosed questionnaire. Please note that there is a processing and filing fee for registration. All fees though, include owl postage and future marriage licensing fees and taxes.

Remember, a happy marriage is an arranged marriage! Let The Yenta Livery Company arrange yours today.

Yours truly,
Jessica Thornton-Ffalkes-Jones
Vice-President, Carlisle Office

Hermione was dumbstruck at what she had just read, and wondered if it was a joke. So she read it again twice more, her eyes unable to get past the part declaring that, 'it is the law'. There was even an exclamation point reiterating the fact.

Wondering what Item 23, Paragraph 394, Lines 5-11, were really about, Hermione flipped through the numerous pages until she found what she was looking for.

There, before her, printed in clear black print on snow white paper was a detailed outline of the Genealogy Law. She could feel her hands getting sweaty as she read through the first few lines, stating how it was mandatory for any Witch or Wizard of marrying age to register at any of the following Geneamorological Agencies. The list below that statement was staggering, but at the top was The Yenta Livery Company. Hopefully that was a good thing, Hermione mused, as she read over the rest. It went on about the need to preserve the Wizarding Community, also the need to create lasting marriages that would produce the highest amounts of children possible. If a marriage was made without the approval of a Geneamorological Agency that has been registered with The Ministry of Magic, then the offending parties would then be banished to the Muggle World only after having their wands snapped. Hermione cringed inwardly at the thought of having her precious wand broken.

Hermione gulped at that last part. That meant that she wouldn't be able to pick out any person that she liked and marry them. She would have to get approved paperwork from an Agency that she and any future mate were compatible. If they weren't… she hated to think of the consequences.

Hermione sighed. It sounded like a science experiment gone awry. People were not allowed to marry for love, but were put into relationships with supposed "compatible" people. She gave a snort at the idea of someone being compatible for her.

Could there be? She shook her head at the thought and continued reading the brochures. Indeed, several were general questions and answers revolving not only around the YLC, but also around the reasons for having a Genealogy Law. Another pertained to the stories of real life people that had found true love while using YLC. The stories were sickening by how many times they over used the word 'soul-mate' and 'one-true-love'. But by the time she finished reading about the third unlikely match that ended up in a perfect marriage with four children, Hermione began to wonder if there was hope for her yet.

With that thought she folded up the papers and stuffed them in her robe pocket. She did not just think of actually filling out that ruddy questionnaire and paying these people to find her a 'mate' as they so kindly put it. She was still young. She had plenty of time to try to find someone on her own before running them through the testing. But then her logical part caught up. What would be the odds of her finding a suitable match while working at a school? Let alone a school where she was the youngest staff member and the only people closest to her in age were the students. She dreaded the thought of going out and trying to find someone, in the Wizarding World, or the Muggle World for that matter. Hermione hated to admit it, but the thought of going through the work of finding someone was terrifying. The idea of paying someone to do the dirty work for her wasn't all that bad.

She continued picking at her breakfast while mulling over the idea of hiring the YLC. She told herself she was just doing this to find out if there was anyone out there. She wasn't really going to go through with nay matches, no, not likely at all. Those thoughts gave her a little comfort. That, and the plan to ambush Minerva the first free second she had and grill the older woman about why she had never heard about this silly law until now.

"What is this all about!" Hermione snapped, slapping the pile of papers down before Minerva on the coffee. She then sat on the couch opposite her, folded her arms across her chest, and waited for a reply.

"It looks like a pile of papers to me, Hermione." Minerva set down the book she was reading, as a few of the other staff members in the lounge looked their way to see what was gong on. She picked up the papers, her eyes skimming over a very familiar letter. "It's a letter from a Geneamorological Agency, Hermione. The YLC on top of that." She placed them back down on the coffee table, removed her reading glasses and eyed the young woman before her. "I used them when I was about your age. Wonderful people by the way."

That was not the answer Hermione was looking for.

"A Geneamorological Agency, Minerva. There's a law about this for Merlin's sake. Since when has there been a law about this?"

"Don't you remember, Hermione? This is part of the curriculum here at Hogwarts after all."

"I don't remember hearing about this."

"It's standard for Second Years to go over the various laws pertaining to Wizarding Marriages, Hermione."

"Second Years?"

"Yes, I believe so." Minerva looked at the younger witch, her eyebrow furrowing. "Oh dear," she muttered.

"Oh dear, does not even begin to cover what I have been thinking," Hermione replied.

"But you were advised in the subjects you missed while you were in the hospital."

"Well, it appears they skipped over something that is very important." Hermione sighed and leaned back into the couch. "This sucks."

"I am so sorry dear. I should have told you." Minerva rose and took a seat beside the distraught Hermione. "But believe me, Hermione," she said, taking the young witch's hand in hers. "These Agencies know what they are doing. I have had two very successful marriages myself thanks to the YLC."

"Really?"

"Really."

"How? How can you enter into a marriage with someone you don't even know?"

"Oh you know them, Hermione, but it's on such a basic level that once you meet them, you have the sense that you have known them your entire life. With those kinds of feelings, love comes quickly into the marriage."

"I don't know about this though. I mean, sure it would be nice to meet someone, but am I ready to be a wife?"

"You'll know when the time is right." Minerva patted her hand like she was a First Year student that was fretting over missing her parents.

"For curiosity's sake, what happens if I fill out the questionnaire and send it in? Am I obligated to marry right away to the person they send me?"

"Oh heavens no." Minerva chuckled. "They'll send you a list of possible matches according to a percent based on compatibility." Minerva thought for a moment what it was like to get her first matchmaker letter, and smiled at the memory of it. "You're not given names though," She stated. "But they can send you the answers to the questionnaires that possible mates have filled out."

"So there's no picture? No name?"

"No. It's based solely on the questionnaires."

"But what if you lie?" Hermione questioned.

"They'll know. Just like you can not fill out a questionnaire for someone else and vice versa."

"Interesting," Hermione murmured, nibbling on her lower lip.

"Don't rush into things such as this, Hermione. Take your time and think things over. There are plenty of Wizards out there for you Hermione, so take your time in picking the right one."

"Okay, Minerva. I was just scared I guess about the whole idea of this being a law. I'm in no rush," Hermione stated, grabbing her stack of papers and making ready to leave. "Thank you, Minerva, for settling my mind just a bit."

"Any time dear, any time." Minerva watched as the young witch left the lounge. It puzzled her though how a girl who loved reading so much could possibly miss reading up on laws pertaining to Wizarding Marriages. How ever Hermione missed a book like that in the library, she would never know.

That night, Hermione read through the questionnaire. It was ten pages in length, and written on both front and back. Some questions had multiple choices, some were a short answer, but most were just boxes listing criteria that she wanted in a mate. The list of attributes alone was just a little over three pages. The task of filling everything out in proper form was daunting. It would take her several days to piece together the answers between teaching classes and grading papers.

Tomorrow, she told herself. She would start filling out the questionnaire tomorrow. She had a two-hour study period to watch over in the great hall after dinner, and it would give her ample time to get a good chunk of the questions answered. That was if, a very big if, the students could behave themselves. They were beginning to get rowdy with the thought of the Winter Holidays coming up. She hated the idea of having to resort to point taking, or even the thought of detentions, but she had work of her own to do tomorrow evening, and she wasn't about to let a bunch of jittery teenagers stand in her way. She was on a quest to see if there really was someone for her out there in the wide-wide world.

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