The fresh dew on the cobblestones of the old village road glistened. Only a few wizards and witches were up now, sweeping their storefronts with straw brooms and casting new messages on the billboards by their doors.
However, there was only one store that had a small crowd huddled around the front steps, their breath leaving clouds on the glass of the little door.
The Coffee Snake.
It was the newest addition to Diagon Alley, the hottest spot in town to get a morning hit of caffeine, or an afternoon bite of lunch or even a cheeky pint and crisps for dinner.
And the owner of this cozy establishment had a particular gift: everything he brewed tasted out of this world. It didn't matter if it was an espresso, a matcha latte or a boozy cubano, his drinks were so good, customers came back for more each and every day.
If magic was magic, his coffee was better.
Ron Weasley couldn't get enough of his daily order of apple crisp lattes before his morning Quidditch workout. He had to find out the recipe. He was spending a huge part of his budget on the Coffee Snake and not enough on anything else. So he employed his girlfriend, who was a very clever witch, to do a bit of sleuthing around.
"Come on 'Mione. I've just got to know!" he begged.
Hermione Granger loved Ron, but sometimes she wondered if he loved her just as much as he loved Quidditch and coffee. It was an odd place to be: in third place after roasted beans and sweaty lads on broomsticks. Maybe this was the trick to finally get him to see her worth.
So on the dew-cobblestone covering morning, Hermione stood among the small crowd, waiting for the doors to open at exactly six-thirty.
"It's gotta be illegal what he puts in that coffee," mumbled a particularity jittery man in Auror robes. "Azkaban level."
"Tell me about it," said a witch in fashionable robes. "I'd kill myself if this place ever closed."
At exactly six-thirty, the lock clicked open and the crowd filed in. The entire place was made of open brick and decorated with tasteful art pieces. The chairs were of mahogany wood and leather. All along the walls stood bottles and jars: some with curious looking substances inside, other with moving creatures and critters.
At the front desk, a House Elf punched in a few buttons on the register and took the first customer.
"Mr Smith, the usual? Double espresso with caramel syrup. And for Mrs Little, a chocolate latte with sprinkles?"
In no time at all, the drinks floated out of the kitchen and set into the hands of the happy customers. They took their first sips and grinned.
Hermione came up to the counter. "Erm, good morning."
The House Elf didn't miss a beat. "Apple crisp latte?"
"Yes, but also. I'd like to speak to the barista."
The House Elf laughed. "Nobody speaks to the barista. He is busy."
"This is kind of important. My whole relationship is on the line. Could I please have one minute?"
The House Elf ducked into the kitchen and came with a confused look on its face. "Looks like he has been waiting for you?"
Me? Hermione followed the Elf around the side of the counter and walked into the kitchen. There were all sorts of bowls and cups and spoons floating in the air and brewing and mixing the drinks. At the front of it all was...
"Professor Snape?!"
It couldn't be! The Hogwarts Potions Master had not been seen for ages and everyone took him for dead. He was the brilliant master coffee brewer in Diagon Alley?
"Ah, Miss Granger," he said. "Oat milk, three spoons of brown sugar, a dash of vanilla and...my own special blend of beans."
He took a piping hot cup from the air and handed it to her. "Go on."
Hermione took a sip, melting in into a blissful smile. "This is...the most delicious coffee I've ever had."
"Indeed. I know coffee because I know people." He looked deep within her eyes. "And I know very well why you've come to my cafe this morning. I will tell you, the answer you seek can not help you."
Hermione nodded. "I know. But I wish it could."
"We can change our order, but we cannot change a wizard's mind, Miss Granger," he said softly. "But perhaps we might find that the very object we seek is the one seeking us right now."
"I don't follow..."
"You coming into my cafe, this morning, the precise time I had perfected this blend...it is the perfect coincidence. These very beans had notes of chocolate and orange, and the faintest hint of ...old parchment."
"I love those smells!"
"Like I said, perfect."
He took Hermione's hand and kissed it. "Come back tomorrow. I would like you to try anouther blend of mine. And perhaps, one of my baked goods?"
She smiled. "I'd love to."
At home, Hermione did not have a recipe for Ron, but she did have an answer to his question about coming to his next Quidditch game. No. And from now on, he was going to have to solve his coffee mysteries himself. The only mystery Hermione wanted in her life was which type of breakfast and beverage Snape would be making for her the next day.
A/N: Just something silly I thought of today! Enjoy! Inspired by the Practical Magic theme song...cozy autumn!