WizMatch and the Unexpected
Hermione sat at her desk, a warm cup of tea in her hands, staring at the stack of parchment before her. It had been a long week. Between her work at the Ministry, the constant juggling of motherhood, and the ever-present ache of missing Ron, it felt like there wasn’t a moment to breathe, let alone think about anything else.
But, of course, Lavender had other ideas.
Hermione hadn’t even known Lavender was still dabbling in matchmaking, though she should have guessed. Lavender had always been one for the dramatic, and if she couldn’t find someone to set up, she’d simply make someone else do it for her. She hadn’t been shy about her adventures in the wizarding equivalent of dating, using old-school charms to link magical individuals with their "ideal matches." But now, things had taken a new turn.
“WizMatch, ‘Mione! It’s a revolution!” Lavender had exclaimed on one of their rare tea dates, practically bouncing in her seat. "I’ve signed us both up, by the way. I’m telling you, it’s the thing. No one’s talking about it yet, but just wait."
Hermione had raised an eyebrow, hesitating. WizMatch was supposed to be a modern magical dating service that connected witches and wizards who might be compatible, based on magical resonance, shared interests, and sometimes, even their blood status (which Hermione wasn’t thrilled about, to be honest). Unlike Muggle dating apps, there were no screens or buttons involved—WizMatch used enchanted parchment and charms to connect people. You filled out a magical profile that was transcribed onto a piece of parchment and sent through an enchanted system, like a sort of magical networking service. The profiles appeared as glowing symbols on special parchment, their profiles illuminated by soft, golden ink. The most important aspect was the “matchmaking charm,” which, through a complex series of enchantments, allowed potential partners to see each other's profiles once a match was made.
Reluctantly, Hermione had agreed. Lavender, after all, wasn’t about to give up until she got her way. And who was Hermione to resist the idea of meeting someone new?
But now, sitting at her desk late one evening, Hermione was starting to wonder if she had made a mistake.
She was staring at the parchment in front of her, and she was... unsure. Her profile was simple enough. It listed her interests: reading, magical law, cooking (a bit), and, of course, the fact that she had children. The latter part was important to her. She didn’t want anyone to be misled.
At the bottom of the parchment, there was a symbol—a glowing emblem of a heart and a wand crossing each other in an elegant swoop. It was a match notification, and Hermione had received her first one only a few minutes ago. Hesitantly, she raised her wand and tapped the parchment.
A moment later, the symbol expanded into a detailed profile.
She wasn’t entirely sure how it had happened. Lavender had assured her that she wouldn’t regret it, that it was just a harmless experiment to see what magic could spark between two witches and wizards. Hermione hadn’t even wanted to sign up, but Lavender had gone ahead and done it anyway. The match came through the enchanted parchment—no phones involved, of course. The magical parchment linked people through the charm, illuminating glowing, intricate symbols once the match was made.
Zabini? she thought, her brow furrowing slightly. Of course… Slytherin. The name alone conjured up memories from their school days—his quiet, aloof demeanour, his sharp wit, and the ever-present air of mystery that seemed to hang around him. She had never expected to encounter him on a matchmaking service like this. They had been classmates, but beyond a few shared moments during their time at Hogwarts, they’d never really interacted much. Still, the name lingered, and there was something about the idea of reconnecting that intrigued her, even if she didn’t quite understand why.
Her gaze moved down the parchment to his profile picture. It was a moving portrait, as was customary, and it depicted Blaise lounging casually in what appeared to be a library, his eyes dark and slightly amused, as though he knew something no one else did. The pose wasn’t striking or overtly charming, but it was undeniably captivating in its simplicity. He wasn’t trying to impress anyone; he was just there, looking as effortlessly confident as he always had. Hermione couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy as she studied it. Was she being evaluated? She could almost sense the weight of his gaze, even through the enchanted parchment.
Before she could dwell on it too much, something shifted on the parchment. A new message appeared—this one from Blaise. Her heart skipped a beat, her fingers hovering over the page as she read the text:
“Well, well, Hermione Granger. Didn’t think you’d be the type to sign up for something like this. But here we are, aren’t we? I have to admit, I’m intrigued.”
Hermione blinked, momentarily stunned. Flirting? she thought, her mind racing. She hadn’t expected this. Not from Blaise Zabini. Their few interactions during school hadn’t exactly been laden with playful banter. He had always been reserved, and she had assumed that, like most people, he had grown up to be more serious. Yet, here he was, addressing her like they were old friends, his words light-hearted and teasing.
A smile tugged at the corner of Hermione’s lips, despite herself. The tone wasn’t aggressive or pushy. It was... well, a bit charming, in its own way. She let out a soft breath, feeling both amused and slightly flustered by the unexpectedness of it all.
He continued: “I imagine you’re busy saving the world, but a little WizMatch fun never hurt anyone, right?”
Hermione’s heart did a strange little flip. Did he just—was that flirty? she thought, her mind catching up with the casual, easy nature of the words. She had expected her return to dating, or even casual flirting, to be a difficult and awkward thing. But this—this was unexpected. It wasn’t like the conversations she’d had with anyone since Ron had passed. It was light, playful, and she found herself wanting to see where it could go.
She read his message a few more times, considering how to respond. It was the kind of moment where she could feel herself weighing the possibilities—whether she should shut it down immediately, or maybe just... see what happened. She had been so focused on the responsibilities of motherhood, work, and everything else for so long that the idea of something as simple as playful flirting felt almost foreign.
Maybe I should just go with it, she thought, her fingers trembling slightly as she reached for her wand.
She tapped the parchment, and the words began to form as if guided by her own thoughts.
“Well, I do have a reputation to uphold. Can’t let a little matchmaking magic get the best of me, can I?” she typed, allowing herself a small smile as the words appeared. It was a teasing response, but she couldn’t help it. There was something about the way Blaise’s message had pulled her out of her own head, made her feel like she was allowed to be something other than just a mother or a Ministry worker. It felt... freeing.
She paused, her fingers hovering over the parchment as she considered her next words. Her mind raced for a moment before settling on something playful to match the energy he had set.
“You might be right. I’ve been a little busy. But I’ll admit, this is a bit of a pleasant surprise.”
Hermione exhaled slowly, her heart racing a little faster now. What am I doing? she wondered. But, at the same time, she didn’t feel regret. She was curious—curious about how this could unfold, curious about what it meant to feel something besides the weight of grief and responsibility.
She hesitated for a moment longer, but eventually, she tapped the parchment with a finality that sent the message off.
It wasn’t long before a reply appeared.
“I’m all about pleasant surprises. Trust me, Granger, I’m very good at handling the unexpected.”
Hermione chuckled softly. She hadn’t expected such confidence, and definitely hadn’t expected to enjoy it so much. She shook her head, smiling to herself as she read the message again. He was bold, but in a way that wasn’t off-putting. It wasn’t arrogant; it was... assured. He wasn’t just making small talk. He was engaging her, pulling her into the conversation with the same intensity she remembered from their school days, but this time, there was a layer of playfulness she hadn’t anticipated.
“Well, we’ll see about that, Zabini,” Hermione replied, writing quickly. “You’ll have to keep up with me if you’re serious about this.”
She leaned back in her chair as she sent the message, watching the parchment glow softly as the words left her. Her fingers drummed lightly on the edge of the table as she waited. Keep up with me? she thought. What was I even thinking?
The reply came swiftly.
“Oh, trust me. Keeping up with you won’t be a problem. I’m more than up for the challenge.”
Hermione couldn’t help but laugh—a genuine laugh, full of amusement and something else, something warm. She hadn’t expected this at all. She hadn’t expected Blaise Zabini to make her smile like this, to draw her into this unexpected and entirely too easy banter. But here they were.
She sighed softly, looking at the parchment before her. For the first time in ages, she felt... well, alive. The weight of everything—of being a mother, a widow, a worker—was still there, but right now, in this moment, it was something different.
Something light.
Something unexpected.
"Is that a promise?" she wrote, smiling as she let her fingers hover over the parchment, her heart racing just a little faster.
The response came almost immediately.
“It’s a certainty, Granger.”
She let out a soft, surprised breath. The parchment glowed, and Hermione leaned back, her mind whirling in the most unexpected of ways. She wasn’t sure what was happening here, where it might lead. But for the first time in a long while, she didn’t mind the uncertainty. In fact, it was exactly what she needed.
Unexpected things.