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When I first saw her. I thought she was beautiful.
And I didn’t know that I was in love.
Then I found out she was a muggleborn, and I knew that I could never have her.
So I pushed her away.
But I was always drawn to her.
And that mangly old cat of hers, he seemed to do everything possible and to protect her.
I wasn’t brave enough to approach her.
I hated it when I made her cry. And whenever her cat snarled at me it felt like he was reprimanding me.
I was there when she got Petrified, I was scared to approach her bed, besides that cat stood watch and glared at me.
When I put the paper in her hand. He managed to scratch me and caused me to bleed. He hissed at me and moved protectively in front of Granger.
“Take care of her for me…okay?” I whispered, “Weasley and Potter seem to always cause her to get hurt…I can’t protect her…but you can,” I whispered.
I left the hospital wing.
—————
Third year was a rush.
Dementors.
Escaped convict who happened to be my uncle.
And the Weasley’s eternal rat turned out to be a long lost thought-dead person.
I saw kind of had an inkling with the last one.
The way Crookshanks ran after the rat with a vengeance. And no rat was ever supposed to live through six Weasley Children.
And apparently the DADA professor was a werewolf.
I would deny it to anyone if they ever asked me.
But that professor was the best.
He saw me like an actual kid and not like an evil Slytherin.
All the Snakes liked him.
But we weren’t allowed to show it. If our parents found out we grew attached to a half-breed…
Who knew what would happen to us…
Especially to me…
I sat in an alcove. Willing myself not to cry when I found out that he was leaving. Professor Lupin deserved to be a teacher.
But I couldn’t cry.
I wouldn’t cry.
my fathers many lessons taught me not to be weak. Not to cry.
Malfoy’s don’t cry.
They’re not weak.
And then Potter causing problems again.
I kept close to the sidelines.
Watching my Granger and ensuring that she was okay.
I knew it was wrong. I shouldn’t have fallen in love with her. But nothing I did could seem to keep me away.
Not even when she punched me.
And I knew her better than she knew herself.
I knew that she loved to read in the back alcove of the library.
I knew that she loved her cat more than anything in the world. And that her cat loved her as if she put the stars in the sky.
She might as well have.
She could sit with the gods above.
She was a goddess herself.
More beautiful than Aphrodite and more intelligent than Athena.
It was clear.
I was in love with her.
Even if I could never have her.
—————
The last few years had been mild compared to their first years.
But then I found out Hermione had been badly hurt in our fifth year. I snuck back into the Hospital wing and saw Hermione unconscious on a cot. She looked deathly pale and I hated it.
She has been unconscious for almost a week.
And every night I snuck in.
Crookshanks always made me bleed every time I reached for her. He would hiss and look at me with suspicion.
That was until I brought a piece of bacon.
“Want me to pet you now?” I asked him as he looked at me expectantly as his stomach was exposed.
I smiled softly.
I finally won her cat over.
Then I became his new best friend.
He would expose his belly to me every time I came to see Hermione.
And it seemed that I couldn’t seem to stop crying every time I held her hands. I would kiss the top of her head and took in her scent.
And I would whisper those three words into her hair. Grateful that she was unconscious so that she wouldn’t hear me.
Then when I overheard the healer saying that she was starting to come out of her coma. I knew our time was short.
And this would be the last time I would be able to be near her.
The last night I was beside her. I took her hands in mine and kissed her knuckles.
“I love you…” I whispered low enough, to not wake up Crookshanks. I kiss the cat on the top of his head and told him to protect Granger for the both of us.
Then I got news that she woke up and I never visited her again.
—————
The war was over.
There was many casualties.
And my name was ruined; technically it was ruined from the very beginning but now it was unfixable.
I had to move into the muggle world in order to walk without people whispering under their breaths that I should be rotting away on Azkaban.
It was a breath of fresh air.
But it didn’t stop me from missing my parents. Even if they were never there for me when I needed them the most. They were still my parents.
It was raining as I walked the streets of London. I was still debating on going back to Hogwarts or staying away.
And then I saw him.
At first I didn’t believe my eyes. I knew that Hermione would never get rid of Crookshanks.
She loved him too much.
“What are you doing here?” I asked softly, he looked up to me and I saw the heartbreak in his eyes.
He slowly made his way to me. I knelt down and he rubbed himself against me.
Why aren't you with Granger?" I whispered, Crookshanks meowed sadly and I knew that he was missing Hermione.
"Let's get you home yeah?" I asked softly, I picked him up and he purred in my arms. And something told me that it’s been a while since he’s been loved.
I took him to my small flat. He shivered and I took him into the washroom.
“Let's get you cleaned up,” I murmured, I turned on the shower and filled up the tub slightly. Ensuring that it wasn’t too hot as I placed him in it.
He looked as if he was walking asleep while I washed his matted fur.
"I found you in time Crooks, I'm leaving for Hogwarts tomorrow, I'll give you to Granger tomorrow" I told him, I went silent as I washed him.
Crookshanks looked at me.
I think he could tell I was sad.
I dried him off and carried him into my room, I settled him on the bed before getting ready for bed myself. When I got into bed, he walked up to my side.
"Get some sleep," I whispered and got comfortable in bed.
It was hard to sleep.
But I did manage to sleep. Something curled up beside me and the soft vibrations kept the nightmares away.
The night passed and when I awoke. I didn’t wake up covered in sweat.
I turned to see Crookshanks falling asleep. I rubbed him behind the ears before picking him up.
"Let's get you to Granger,” I whispered, feeling butterflies fluttering in my stomach. I would see her again.
And maybe…
Maybe she would see me.
We arrived to the station and Crookshanks immediately started meowing loudly, I saw Granger getting on the train and swiftly followed. I looked for her in each carriage.
Until I found her.
"Granger?” I asked softly.
I heard a faint scoff and was about to put Crookshanks down before he meowed loudly. She jumped and turned to see me and Crookshanks.
"Crooks?" She whispered softly.
I could see the tears in her eyes and immediately felt like I did something wrong.
"I—er—I found him...wandering...I er...I brought him...here," I stuttered and thrust Crookshanks into her arms "there," I murmured and turned to leave.
Then I heard an annoyed yowl.
"Malfoy?" Hermione asked me, “I think...he wants to stay,” Hermione giggled.
Her laugh was beautiful.
"I wouldn't want to intrude," I mumbled.
She shrugged and I could swear I saw her blush as I moved closer. I settled down beside her and we got to talking.
Maybe…
Just maybe…
—————
I got the life I thought I could only imagine.
With the witch I have loved since I was eleven.
And a cat who acted like the king.
And a son that I would love till my last breath.
I got it all.
I entered my shared flat and saw the love of my life and the mother of our future son cuddling on the couch with Crookshanks. I admired her as she talked softly to her familiar.
Nobody thought that Hermione was serious when she announced to the world that she was dating me. And once or twice I tried to break up with her only to receive a shoe to the head.
I’m so glad that she is so stubborn.
"How's our little rugrat?" I asked as I rubbed her pregnant belly. Still in aw that she was pregnant with my child.
I accidentally moved Crookshanks and he shot me a nasty glare.
"Draco," my wife whined, "don't call him that."
I looked at the scene before me.
This was my family.
All thanks to Crookshanks.
————
The worst day of our life came to happen.
Crookshanks was on his last day.
My wife was completely inconsolable as she sobbed into her cats fur. He tried to console her but everyone in the room could tell that he was tired.
Crookshanks sniffed the air due to the fact that he had lost his eyesight and sought for Hermione. He found her face and gave her a weak kiss.
"Shh...it's okay Crooks," Hermione whispered when the cat tried to stand.
“Daddy, what's wrong with Crooksy?" My son asked me sadly, I swallowed down the knot in my throat as I struggled to breath.
"Crookshanks is...sick...Scorp, he's tired,” I told him, he was too young and to innocent. But some part of me knew that my son knew what was happening.
"Is Crooksy going to get better?" Scorpius asked.
"Crooks is...in pain Scorp...he's too tired,” Hermione cried softly. I looked up to the ceiling in order to keep the tears away.
"He's going to sleep now,” I whispered tearfully.
"Is he going to wake up?" Scorpius asked.
I brushed his blond curls. He stared at me with his mother’s eyes.
"No Scorp...he's going to sleep like grandma Cissy,” Hermione cried softly, she turned back to her cat and started crying again.
"Oh,” Scorpius whispered tearfully. He put his head in my neck and started crying softly. I tried desperately to console him but couldn’t find the words to ease his pain.
Crookshanks had been his best friend. His guardian and his teacher.
Like the time he taught Scorpius how to only go in the litter box.
"I'll inject the drug now, would you like to say something?" The vet told them.
Draco took Hermione’s free hand.
"'Y-You l-lived your n-nine lives h-h-here w-with me...m-my l-loyal...l-l-loving f—" Hermione sobbed softly as she put her head back on Crookshanks.
"'F-F-Friend..." she inhaled shakily, "t-then Merlin t-t-took you t-to P-Paradise to..." she stopped and another sob broke out, she kissed my head before taking another breath.
"'To l-live life n-number ten.,...I'll b-bet y-you're p-p-p-peacefully lying u-upon an angels l-lap. P-Purring w-without a c-c-c-care—"
She couldn’t go on anymore. Crookshanks licked her hand as she wept.
"'—Having a heavenly nap" I began, I saw Crookshanks face my direction and I could swear he smiled softly.
"'I'll miss you for a little while.,..." I inhaled shakily "'...but our f-friendship will not end.—"
I bent down and kissed his damp head.
“I’ll take care of them,” I promised softly, so that only he could hear me, “I’ll take care of them Crookshanks…I promise you.”
"—Time will pass...a-and then a-at last y-you'll be on m-my lap again,” my wife finished at last.
Crookshanks cuddled into her as I stood up straight and cried into my sons hair.
"The drug is in..."
Crookshanks began to relax and his eyes closed for the last time.
“He’s gone,” the vet said softly when she finished her examination.
And the Familiar that saved me was gone.