Chapter Text
Lavender Brown loved love.
She loved Valentine's Day, she loved romance, she loved soul mates, and she loved the lonely hearts collunm in the daily prophet.
She also loved her best friend, Parvati. Lavender Brown was killed by Greyback during the battle of Hogwarts.
Parvati never forgot about Lavender Brown, which is why 5 years down the line she is working with Hermione Granger on the ‘L&R foundation’ started by the two girls to ensure anyone who suffered at the hands of Fenir Greyback or were being treated unfairly In the wizarding world would get all the help and support they needed, it meant long hours, rubbish take away food hunched over a desk and bad pay, but the girls wanted to honour the two namesakes; Lavender Brown and Remus Lupin.
“Come on Hermione”, drawled Parvati “Lavender would have loved it, you remember how much she adored the lonely heart section. I’m telling you we charge 2 Galleons to submit an application, use a basic matching spell and boom we have funding and a lot of new couples around Diagon alley”.
Hermione laughed at her friend, over the past 5 years the two really grew close. After returning to Hogwarts for a special 8th year class the two found themselves at a loss. Ron and Harry had gone off to auror training, that is after Ron confessing to Hermione, he thought he may be gay. Hermione was shocked, of course she always thought there was something between them, but she was touched he would confide in her one night in front of the fire at the Burrow. She kissed his cheek and pulled him close and promised she would be with him every step of the way. Six months later, he was dating Oliver Wood.
The two girls had both suffered great losses and found themselves both needing a shoulder to cry on. What started as comforting each other when the other woke up from nightmares turned to weekends in Hogsmeade, girls' days with Ginny and Luna. Then one night after one-too-many glasses of fire whiskey the “L and R foundation” was born.
“I don’t know Parv; how would we convince people to go for it?’ Hermione chewed her thumb, they were running low on funding for this quarter, they needed to get this right.
‘Hermione,’ Parvati retorted, pulling Hermione from her anxious daydream ‘I think sometimes you forget who you are. You could be set up a stall selling homemade butter beer and people would queue up all day just for the bragging rights that they donated to the golden girl's golden cause.’ Parvati hip bumped Hermione making her laugh. The look in Parvati's eye told Hermione this was a non-negotiable suggestion plus she was right Lavender would of loved it.
‘and don’t worry, me and lover boy will handle it all!’ Parvati announced gathering her work bag and notes together. Hermione rolled her eyes, Parvati she trusted but lover boy was the one she worried about. Loved boy, also known as one George Weasley.
8 weeks later
The premise was simple, or so Parvati and George assured her, Hermione was holding down the fort with the workload whilst Parvati was handerling the fundraiser. They worked well together.
Each applicant would submit their two Galleon fee then receive an Owl from Weasleys Wizards Wheezers (not sponsored) to fill in.
Hermione pushed the door of the joke shop open, she scanned the room looking for any sites of ginger hair, she was meeting Parv and George here to have a look at the application form before it was announced to the public.
‘Well, well, well, if it isn't the one that got away.’ George called from his office, Hermione laughed, she loved George loved him like a brother but my god if that man wasn’t a flirt, all in jest of course, that man was wrapped around Parv's finger. ‘We’re in here Granger, I hope you’re feeling the love!’ her dragged out the word love and wiggled his eyebrows. Hermione laughed and made her way to the office; Parvati was sat clutching some parchment the excitement was radiating. Hermione greeted her then plopped down on the chair opposite her, George shut the door and joined the girls.
‘Okay then’ Hermione breathed ‘let's see what the two of you have been working on.’ Parvati handed Hermione the parchment and George stood up he bowed theatrically and started his pitch, forever the salesman.
‘Presenting the L&R foundations ‘Owner of a lonely heart; hold your applause ladies hold your applause.’ Hermione looked over at Paravati, her eyes glued to George a small smile on her face, and she watched the man she loved. Something twinged in Hermione ‘Will I ever have that?’ a small voice in the back of Hermione's mind called, she shook her head. Where did that come from?
‘Come on George, get on with it.’ Hermione laughed stretching her leg out to kick him lightly. Parvati tugged George's shirt pulling him back down to his seat. ‘I will do the explaining; you sit there and look pretty.’ she chastised patting him on the cheek. ‘It's so exciting Hermione, Geroge really is quite talented, we were thinking everyone can make there payment here, it's always busy so it's not like people would be able to work out who is a customer and who is an applicant. I have spoken to the Owlery across the street they are going to loan us the owls to use. Each applicant will fill in the from you have in your hands, send it back with the owls and then George uses a modified version of the matching spell we learned in fourth year.’ Hermione looked at George who had a mischievous grin on his face.
‘What do you mean modified?’ Hermione questioned rising her eyebrow at the pair in front of her.
‘Don't even ask Granger, I will take it to my grave all your little head needs to know is I tested it, and it works, now come on open the bloody parchment, I want you to read my questions.’ George sent a small stinging hex to Hermione's hand, not hard enough to hurt but enough to emphasize his point.
Hermione unrolled the parchment, a puff of pink smoke in the shape of a heart burst into the air. Only George, she thought. She looked down at the parchment Infront of her.
Age
Makes sense we can't be matching up first years imagine the drama.
Gender
Always helpful.
Sexual Orientation
Yes, very important imagine the scandal.
If you were an animal, what would you be?
Hermione laughed; it was such a muggle question.
Ideal first date
Is that not cheating?
Are you a spring, summer, Autum or a winter?
Now you're just making It up George
Tea or Coffee
Surely no one chooses coffee
What’s your favourite joke?
Hermione laughed; glad she wasn’t the one having to read all the terrible jokes submitted.
What's your best feature?
That seemed standard
And finally
How do you spend your weekends?
Hermione understood this one on a person level, date a few quidditch players and everyone thinks you want to spend your Saturdays in a muddy field.
Hermione looked up to meet the eyes of Parvati and George.
‘So?’ Parvati questioned anxiously. Hermione knew how much this meant to her. ‘And your sure people will go for this?’ Hermione asked her mind once again concerned with the funding. ‘yes absolutely!’ George burst in. I’ve put up some posters in the shop then spoke to Hannah in the Leaky and the amount of interest is crazy, and not to toot my own Tornado Trumpet, coming to a WWW near you, I don’t just think it’s the golden girls name that’s attracting people.’
Hermione leaned back on the chair, the money from this was going to do a lot of good. She took a deep breath in, ‘Let's do it’ she announced with a smile.
The rest of the evening the three discussed the rest of the points of the plan. Once each applicant had a match, they would receive a ‘Lonely Heart’ they were special two-way jotters George and Hermione had come up with a few years previous, the only difference being they were bright pink love hearts. The idea was the matches could chat between the two and decide themselves whether they were going to meet up.
Hermione looked at the clock, it was nearly 11pm. She got up kissed the couple goodbye and apparated back to her flat.
She hoped this was truly a good idea.