Title: Matchmaker
Series: Harry Potter
Genre: Romance / General
Summary: After her years at Hogwarts, Hermione starts up a matchmaking service. Alternate universe. A series of one-shots. Slash and crack pairings.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is copyright to JK Rowling.
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Prologue
Grey skies split as the sun demanded some attention from the Londoners. It was a cold day, up until that point, so most wore light woollen scarves and thin jackets atop their day-to-day outfits. As the sun warmed the ground, some found the scarves too much, and stashed them away in bags or pockets.
A gaggle of teenagers, laughing and skipping as they walked from their private school, passed by a thin, two-storey building. It was relatively old, thus drawing no attention from the youths. The faded bricks were crumbling in places, and the roof needed more than one reparation before it was fully fit to survive a heavy rain. A single swinging sign, resembling that of an old tavern or such, creaked and groaned with each minor sway. The lettering had faded and was hardly legible, though those who wanted to find it could without much difficulty. After all, the building looked abandoned to Muggles.
Inside, however, the foyer bustled with customers. Booking appointments, readings, or simply buying some of the many potions on display. The owner of the building and shoppe stood behind the counter, punching buttons on the register, glancing down to the quill taking down appointments every so often, and finally leaving the patrons with a warm "thank you for shopping!"
As the last of the buyers left, smiling and wishing her well, the brunette slumped down on the chair she'd placed conveniently behind her. The business was small, but booming, just as the Weasley Wizard Wheeze's had. The woman shouldn't have been surprised, but she was. By the number of daily consumers, by the rapid rate at which she had to mix potions to keep stocked, by the general success of her trade.
Never once did she expect the idea of matchmaking to come to her head one day. But it did, and she embraced it, disregarding just how much busier she'd become. Hermione Granger was going to have a popular business, no matter what she sold, it seemed. In the beginning, she'd stuck with plain potions. No more than a month later, she'd added potions for luck and keycharms charmed to help with various every day things. Lately, she'd been debating mentally just what to sell next, and that evening it dawned on her.
"I'll play matchmaker." She told her reflection in the mirror as she teased her long light brown hair into a soft mass of ringlets. A smile crept along her soft lips as she thought through the idea. She had only had a small thing with Ron back in school, but it hadn't lasted too long, unfortunately. They'd gone to different trades, and hadn't seen much of each other. Maybe this way she'd be able to create perfect pairs and satisfy her romantic craving. Maybe she'd find out if she was good for Ron or not. Or if he was good for her, even. She tittered to herself silently.
Yes, she would start a matchmaking service. She'd fill her own romantic void with the happiness of others. Besides, it would give her something to do on those long empty nights.