Crookshanks, RIP
Hermione woke to steady rain pounding against the doors to the balcony. It was dark outside, and certainly late, but the exact time was unknown, unimportant. There was a sudden flash of lightning, followed quickly by a deep, rolling thunder and she wondered if it was that which had woke her. She was usually quite a heavy sleeper, but she'd found herself awakening more and more at irregular times of the night.
She stretched, feeling the pull of tired muscles as the sheets fell aside. Another flash of lightning lit the room, revealing the spot at the foot of the bed where Crookshanks used to lay. It was empty, no evidence left of him at all, and Hermione jumped at the sound of thunder. She had always loved cuddling with Crookshanks during these storms, and it was candid times like these which proved to her how affected she was with his passing.
Still half asleep, she rolled over and shifted towards her husband's side of the bed, only to find it empty. The sheets were cool, indicating that he hadn't been in bed for a while, and she dimly wondered where he'd run off to.
Unable to fall asleep, she dragged herself out of bed and curled herself into her favorite chair with Crookshanks' favorite blanket. If her husband came in to find her curled up like this, tears in her eyes, she knew he'd have a few choice words for her. He hadn't tried to hide his animosity for the half-Kneazle when it'd still been alive and she knew the only reason he cared about its death at all was because she was upset.
Hermione focused on the window, hoping the rain would lull her back to sleep, and it was then that she noticed a faint light out on the ground. From her vantage point, it looked like a Lumos, but it was impossible to tell with the rain. When she walked to the doors and peered through, she was certain someone was out there. By the time she got downstairs and to the back door, she knew it was her husband.
Draco Malfoy was out in the rain, head bowed, with his wand lit up and pointed at a small headstone under the large willow in his family's cemetery. She watched as he stood slowly and came back to the house, his gait slow yet purposeful. She opened the door for him and he gave her a small half-smile.
"What are you doing?" she asked quietly. It wasn't like him to walk around in the rain in the middle of the night.
"Buried Crookshanks in the cemetery. He was just as much a Malfoy as you are."
a/n: Feels good to get back in the saddle! This was written for Ollivander's Challenge, week three. I chose the prompt "Hermione mourns the loss of Crookshanks." After taking so much time away from writing, I'm quite happy with how this turned out! Feedback is welcome, I'd love to hear what you guys thought!