A/N: I wrote this one last year as a request for the prompt "Ron adopting a dog without Hermione's knowledge to get back at her for Crookshanks." I posted it on Tumblr and AO3 but not here, because I thought, is it cool to fill my FFN page with drabbles or should I stick to posting longer stories here? But since I'm writing more Han/Leia than Ron/Hermione these days, I'm going to go ahead and post this (and others) here anyway, so I won't lose the love of the people (lol, jk). Enjoy!

Hermione whirled around with a start at the barking sound that followed those of her husband and children coming through the door.

'Mummy, Mummy, we got a baby dog!' Rose yelled, her red curls bouncing behind her as she ran towards Hermione. The girl stopped in her tracks and turned back again, only to place her hands on Hugo's shoulder blades and prompt him forwards. It was Hugo who held the prize, after all: an overly excited, thimble-sized dog with two waggling—wait, two?

'Easy there, Rosie,' said Ron, gently steering her away from her brother before her eagerness got the best of her. He looked up and gave Hermione a sheepish smile. Before dealing with him, however, she had to put on her best front and pretend to be thrilled at the subject of their offspring's chirping. She made cooing noises at the podgy creature, not much different from a Jack Russell Terrier, scratching the short, soft fur: Hermione had never been much of a dog person, but it didn't take a lot of pretending. She could see why Ron had been taken with it.

After Rose and Hugo had run off to drop their school things and wash their hands, grudgingly leaving the pup, Hermione rounded on Ron.

'A crup? That was not on the shopping list, I think.'

'Reckon not. Well, in my defence, you didn't consult with me before getting Crookshanks,' Ron joked, which only made Hermione frown.

'Why should I have, we weren't together back then, it was my pet alone! I know we've discussed getting a puppy for the kids, Ron, but we should have talked about it again first. And a crup! You know we'll have to get one of his tails cut off, and besides, they tend to be aggressive towards Muggles; how do you think we'll manage—?'

'Hermione, breathe!' Ron retrieved the dog from of her and peered anxiously into her face. 'Look, I know I should have asked, but it was too good an offer to pass up. You said you'd like to adopt, not buy a dog, and this bloke Nobby, he works with Percy—his crup had a large litter and he's giving them away. His wife took a couple of pups in a box after work to offer around; they wanted to make sure they would go to good families. And—well… the kids saw them because I had to drop by the Ministry after I picked them from school, and they sniffed out that I wouldn't need much convincing to get one,' he finished with a grin.

'You don't say.'

'And they're actually half-bred,' he added before Hermione could speak again. 'Nobby's crup took a fancy to a neighbour's dog, so the puppies won't really be aggressive, especially if they're around Muggles enough.'

'You really thought this through, didn't you? Anything else to defend your case?' Hermione asked loftily, the smile crossing her lips giving away her acting.

'Just one more thing. Doesn't it remind you of something?' He lifted the dog and looked at her over its head. 'Specifically, of someone's Patronus?'

Hermione laughed.

'Yes, it does look like your Patronus. Minus the forked tail.'

'You're still sad about Crookshanks, I know,' Ron said, looking serious now. 'I thought this might cheer you up a bit. You don't have to feed her or clean her or anything other than playing and telling her how cute she is, all right? I'll take care of everything and teach the kids how to look after her.'

'It's a she, then?'

'Yeah, at least…' Ron turned the squirming puppy over and squinted. 'Yeah, it is.'

The little crup gave two high-pitched barks as she waggled her tails happily, in time for the kids' return.

'Don't run, Rose, Hugo,' Hermione called over her children's cooing. 'And don't touch the puppy again now, you've just washed your hands and we're about to eat. That's right, love, sit at the table now.'

She turned back to Ron, who was looking at her with a small, knowing smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

'You should wash your hands, too,' she told him. 'I'll fetch a cushion from the sofa and we can put her there for now.'

'Does that mean she's staying, then?' Ron asked quietly, aware of the two extra pairs of ears close by.

'Yes,' she said loudly, peeking over her shoulder to see a set of bright, triumphant smiles. To Ron, she repeated, 'Yes. She's staying. Did you think I'd leave a puppy homeless?'

'Oh,' Ron said, his face falling in slight disappointment along with his voice. 'I'd thought you… I'll just fetch a cushion and wash my hands, then, all right?'

He started walking away, but Hermione grabbed the sleeve of his cloak and tugged him back.

'I'm already in love with her,' she told him in an undertone. 'And I love you. You'll still have to get me a birthday present, though.'

Ron mock-groaned, which was stifled by Hermione standing on tiptoe and kissing him on the mouth—something that didn't go unnoticed by Rose and Hugo, who both promptly cried, 'Eww!', making their parents break away laughing.

'You two better start thinking names for our new friend!' Hermione told them, holding the crup while Ron went in search of cushion and blankets. As their children started arguing animatedly about what they would call the pup, Hermione looked at the already sleepy creature in her hands and smiled. She knew she would never be able to replace or forget Crookshanks, and she didn't intend to—but there was plenty of love between them all, and she felt ready to start a new chapter.