Hi everyone!
I just wanted to let you know that English is not my first language. I've put a lot of effort into writing this story, but there might still be some mistakes here and there. I hope they don't take away from your enjoyment of the story.
Thank you so much for reading, and I really hope you like it!
The soft light of the afternoon filtered through the window once again, just as it always did. And in less than two minutes, the Boreal owl, the regular mail courier of the Ministry of Magic, would swoop through the window with its daft expression. This was Hermione Granger's routine every Wednesday – for over fifty Wednesdays now.
Nothing new, nothing surprising, just predictably dull.
The witch with her bushy hair leaned back in her chair, reaching for the char siu bao she had bought from a Chinese shop on her way to the Ministry. As she expected, since she had left it since the morning, the once fluffy white bun had grown cold and hard. Its condition wasn't much different from her life.
Actually, when she returned to complete her seventh year, she and everyone else had high hopes for the future. They thought it would come easily, especially for a witch as talented as Hermione Granger. She herself had thought so, but failed to consider that real life was nothing like school. In the working world, simply being diligent and doing one's best wasn't enough to guarantee a promotion. There were many more complexities – so many that talent alone wasn't sufficient.
She had once believed she would work her way up in the Ministry of Magic, climbing the ranks until she became Minister of Magic, and she thought she could achieve this by the age of thirty-five at the latest. But that had been an overestimation. At twenty-five now, with just a little over ten years left before she hit thirty-five, she could barely see a path to that ministerial position she had dreamed of. She didn't even know if giving herself more time would lead to stable growth, or if she would simply end up like the char siu bao, cold and stale from being left out too long.
Thinking like this, she could only let out another sigh, as she often did. She didn't even know what she wanted in life or where life was leading her. Her career wasn't advancing, her daily life was boring, and her love life… well, it was best not to mention the love that ended over three years ago but still lingered in her heart.
As she sat there, rolling the dry char siu bao in her hand and sighing with her chin propped up, the office door burst open with a familiar figure striding in. He collapsed onto the shabby sofa in the middle of the room.
"I will quit, Hermione," he declared, running a hand through his already tousled black hair, making it even messier.
Hermione sighed, not looking surprised at all. "That's the twentieth time, Harry," she remarked. He had been saying this for almost half a year now, at least once a week.
"I'm fed up with this," Harry muttered, looking as frustrated as ever. "There's too much paperwork, just like Ron said. Look at him now, probably having the time of his life at his brothers' joke shop. And here we are, stuck all day with our noses buried in documents or on pointless patrols. At best, we get to deal with rampaging magical creatures, which one day will drive me insane."
"You forgot to mention the soggy sandwiches and the cold stew you can barely stomach for another day," Hermione added.
Harry raised a finger in agreement. "We should quit and do something else, Hermione."
"Like what?" she asked, crossing her arms and looking at him. "What do you suggest we do? Open a serious shop across from Ron's joke shop?"
The mere thought made Harry grimace. "We should be able to do something better than that."
"Like what?" she repeated, not pressing but enough to make Harry swallow hard. "You don't even have your N.E.W.T.s."
True enough, Harry hadn't returned to complete his exams, which meant his job options were limited to running a shop or service jobs like feeding dragons or pushing the trolley on the Hogwarts Express—just the thought of it made him shudder.
"Or we could transfer departments. I'm tired of being an Auror."
Hermione smiled. "Remember how I looked when I transferred to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement? But if you want to try, go ahead."
Harry could only sigh as the conversation circled back to the usual dead end. He knew transferring departments wouldn't solve the boredom. Hermione was a prime example; after her work with house-elves and magical creature laws, she had transferred to tackle Muggle-born prejudices. But in the three to four years since, the only notable achievement was getting a window installed in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office, making it look slightly less like a broom cupboard.
"Come on, it can't get any worse, Harry," Hermione concluded. "We might just grow old without ever getting promoted—simple as that."
Harry winced. "Yeah, maybe. But, uh... I think I'll head out now. It looks like that owl won't come in until I leave."
Hermione glanced at the window behind her and saw the plump, confused-looking owl flapping its wings impatiently, its large yellow eyes fixed on Harry as if urging him to leave. She chuckled at its antics as Harry got up and left the room.
No sooner had Harry closed the door behind him than the large Boreal owl swooped into the room, circling once before dropping a bundle of letters on her desk and perching on its stand. Upon closer inspection, Hermione realized this wasn't the usual owl that visited every Wednesday—something unexpectedly different had happened.
"Did the regular one quit too?" she quipped, laughing at the wide-eyed owl tilting its head at her. She turned her attention to the hefty stack of letters it had delivered. "Let's see what you've brought me."
She pulled out the first letter, encased in a long white envelope, and immediately guessed it was another piece of tedious work correspondence.
Letter 1: From the Department of Magical Documentation
Dear Ms. Granger,
We hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. We are writing to inform you that your report on the Standardization of Spell Documentation Procedures has been received and is currently under review. Given the complexity and length of your report (our sincerest congratulations on reaching 432 pages), the review process may take longer than initially anticipated. We estimate completion within the next fiscal year.
In the meantime, we kindly ask for your patience and, if possible, an abridged version of the report that does not exceed 10 pages.
Yours sincerely,
Elvira Crumplebottom
Head of the Department of Magical Documentation
Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed so deeply that the owl startled. She knew every department at the Ministry worked slowly, but she never imagined they would deliberately shelve her documents for nearly half a year. Honestly, she wasn't even sure she'd still be working there by then.
"The first letter you brought is awful," she muttered to the owl with its yellow eyes, then pulled out the next letter. "Let's see what the next one has."
Letter 2: From a Colleague at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement
Dear Hermione,
Just a quick note to remind you about the mandatory wand safety seminar next week. I know, I know, another thrilling day of discussing wand maintenance and the importance of not poking your eye out with it.
I've heard rumors there might be free coffee this time, so at least there's that to look forward to!
Best,
John Nott
Department of Magical Law Enforcement
"Never mind, it's all nonsense. You wouldn't want to know. My work is that boring," she said to the owl again, then reached for the third letter. "Alright, letter number three, let's hope it's not as dull."
Sometimes she felt she was on the brink of madness, talking to an owl and hoping for something interesting in the pile of letters, even though she knew they would be filled with the same tedious work issues she had faced for years.
And indeed, no exciting miracle awaited in the next letter.
Letter 3: From the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures
Dear Ms. Granger,
We regret to inform you that your recent proposal for the reclassification of garden gnomes has been
DENIED
While we appreciate your enthusiasm and detailed research, it has been determined that gnomes will remain classified as pests rather than "miniature magical horticulturists."
We thank you for your continued dedication to magical creature welfare and hope you find this outcome as amusing as we did.
Warm regards,
Beatrix Beets
Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures
"Oh, for Merlin's sake," she exclaimed, crumpling the letter and tossing it into the wastebasket. "I sent that report last year! They're replying when I've already forgotten about it? Unbelievable."
Letter 4: From the Wizarding Cultural Events Committee
Dear Ms. Granger,
Congratulations! You have been selected to attend the upcoming seminar on "The Historical Impact of Parchment in Wizarding Documentation." This event promises to be an exhilarating deep dive into the world of parchment, ink, and quill technology.
Additionally, we are excited to announce a bonus session on "The Evolution of Quill: From Quail to Thestral." This fascinating topic will be presented by none other than Professor Phineas Plume, the esteemed expert in Magical Ornithology.
Please note: Participants are encouraged to bring their own quills. The seminar organizers regret to inform you that complimentary quills will not be provided due to budget constraints.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Sincerely,
Archibald Fidget
Wizarding Cultural Events Committee
Hermione finished reading the fourth letter with a noticeably gloomier expression. It wasn't the boring seminar invitation that bothered her, but the content that reminded her of someone—an ex-boyfriend. Yes, she remembered their shared hobby of strolling down Diagon Alley every weekend to buy new ink, quills, and the latest magically enhanced stationery. Since their breakup three years ago, she had avoided anything related to ink and quills because it always reminded her of him, though she shouldn't be thinking about him anymore.
"I'm not going to that seminar, you know," she told the owl. "It's too risky; I might run into him."
She sighed, tapping her forehead lightly as if to knock away the thoughts of him, then glanced at the last letter in her hand.
She slowly opened the dark brown envelope, and as soon as she did, a floral scent wafted out along with golden butterfly dust that fluttered in the air. Within seconds, it faded away, leaving behind a letter and a train ticket with a destination to Aberdeen. Hermione frowned at the ticket, wondering if she had mistakenly opened someone else's mail. She didn't recall any plans to travel that far, especially not in her current state of disillusionment with life.
"Did I open someone else's mail?" she muttered, flipping the envelope again and finding it correctly addressed to her.
Dear H. Granger,
Papilio Mansion is delighted to extend an invitation to our Masquerade Ball.
Date, Time, and Venue: To be disclosed upon boarding the train as per the attached ticket.
Please RSVP; our owl will await your response for 3 days.
We eagerly anticipate your attendance.
Magic, mystery, and darkness will be unveiled after midnight.
"Even though I'm bored to death with my usual life, I wish for something less suspicious than this," she groaned, leaning back in her chair, exhausted.
Hermione furrowed her brows, glancing back and forth between the unfamiliar owl and the train ticket, feeling confused and uneasy. It seemed like a prank or a trick to lure her into something. She didn't trust it but wasn't sure how to deal with it either.
Maybe if she just ignored it for a few days, the strange owl would leave on its own.
At least, she hoped so...
This chapter opens with a short glimpse into Hermione's rather dull life. Can you feel just how boring it is? Haha!
This story is a mix of RomCom and Cozy Mystery. No angst, no drama, just light-hearted fun with some laughs along the way. Perfect for a relaxing read! I
really hope you enjoy it. If you do, please leave a comment to cheer me on. Comments are the best fuel for my creativity!
Thank you so much for reading, and I really hope you like it!