Author's Note: A quick drabble prompted on Tumblr by mhcalamas. The prompt was: Draco buys Hermione a cat. Unbeta'd. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Harry Potter franchise.

She felt Draco's shoulder nudge hers and her mouth pulled into a twist. His grey eyes were wide, a heavy furrow in his brow. Hermione sighed, sinking deeper into the couch.

"You're right," she muttered, "it's time I move on. I get it. He was just…"

"I know," Draco agreed with a flippant shrug. "Crooks was family."

Her mouth pulled into a smile at his easy admission. At the way he always seemed to understand her. It was strange to think how they had spent the first eight years of knowing one another at complete odds, when given the fact of how intuitive their friendship had become, years later.

"But Granger, really," he went on, a hint of a smirk dancing at the corners of his mouth, "he was ancient."

"Well fine," Hermione agreed. It had been two months since Crookshanks had left her but she hadn't quite been able to shake the melancholy, and Draco had caught her on a rough day when he'd Apparated over. "I suppose he'd seen quite a few days."

"No greater life by a feline has ever been lived." Draco gave a solemn nod. His expression was hesitant as he turned to face her. "But believe it or not," he went on in a drawl, "I'm actually here for a reason today."

"Aside from irritating me?" Hermione asked with a derisive snort.

Draco released a mocking 'ha' as he rose to his feet. "Wait here."

He returned from the kitchen moments later with a large box in his arms. Hermione perked up, curiosity piqued, as she leaned forward in her seat.

Without ceremony, Draco reached into the box and deposited a small kitten in her lap. It was black and grey and blinked up at her with large blue eyes. Hermione's mouth fell open, wide eyes swinging to Draco as he handed her another kitten, this one cream and toffee coloured.

"I know." He shook his head. "You always tell me I'm indecisive. But look at them, Hermione. There was no way I was leaving with just one."

She gaped at the fresh pair of kittens crawling across her lap, stunned.

"You bought me two –"

"Three," he interrupted, handing her a pure white kitten with grey eyes. He offered her a smirk, his grey eyes meeting hers. "But you have to name this one Draco."

"Three kittens," Hermione said, her eyes stinging as she nodded. Something pulsed in her chest as she stared at the look on his face.

"Three kittens." Draco gave an appraising nod. "You always said you wished you'd been able to get Crooks a friend but you didn't have the time growing up to look after more than one."

"Draco, I –" She shook her head, lost for words at the kindness of the gesture. She cradled the kittens to her chest, peering up at him from a mass of fur.

"Before you get too soppy on me," he said with a roll of his eyes. "I also got you this."

He handed her a small box from within the pocket of his trousers, and Hermione felt a surge of trepidation before he gave a hurried gesture and she popped the lid.

Inside was a thin silver chain bracelet, featuring a small charm of an orange cat. But it had the squashed face and irritable countenance of Crooks, and Hermione released a watery laugh as she grinned at him. "It's perfect."

"So you'll always be able to keep him with you," Draco mused, absently reaching for the bracelet and releasing the clasp.

Hermione swallowed, meeting the sudden intensity of his stare. "You bought me jewellery."

"I did." There was a hard set to his jaw as he held her eyes.

For as long as they'd been friends, Draco had stubbornly refused to declare for any witch, much to his mother's chagrin. There was a heavy significance to the gifting of jewellery in the wizarding world, and Hermione felt a breath catch in her throat.

His fingers grazed the back of her hand, questioning.

She whispered, "You're serious?"

His lips pressed into a smile but Hermione could see the nervous hesitation behind the gesture. He ran a hand through his hair. "If you'll have me."

Hermione's heart raced in earnest now as she caught her bottom lip between her teeth. "Suppose I'm going to need help raising three kittens, now won't I?"

He grinned, slipping the chain around her wrist. "That was the idea."