A Consquence of an Unfortunate Prank
Author Note: Am I Joanne Kathleen Rowling? Nope. It's not mine, then. Just like my Christmas tree story last year, this idea wouldn't let me go!
The family photo had been taken, with every single child, grandchild and in-law wearing their sweaters, much to Molly Senior's delight, whose hair was undergoing a fiendish battle between natural and grey. When things had quietened down - although, one must acknowledge that the phrase in question is like putting your foot in your mouth in the Burrow - various people were sitting down, and Hermione was reading, despite a snide comment from Lucy that such a thing was atypical in the house. Victoire and Dominique were loosening up with some Butterbeer, and laughing at something only they seemed to find amusing. At the ages of twenty and eighteen, it was legal for both to reach for the Firewhiskey, but they had decided not to go over the top on Christmas Day. Dominique got up, her strawberry-blonde hair shining as she shook her head in a lively manner, and walked over to Hermione.
"What dog-eared volume are you pouring over now, Aunt Herm?" Dominique teased. Hermione chuckled - she'd always been close with Dom, seeing her niece as a livelier version of herself, as the strawberry-blonde was bookish as well as upbeat.
"Oomph! Dommy!" Hermione huffed merrily, as Dom lightly bounded down on her aunt's lap like she was six again and Hermione was at the end of her twenties.
"C'mon, I'm not that heavy!" Dominique said. Hermione teasingly wagged her finger.
"You can't truly sit in my lap anymore, so that's saying something." the brunette said. "Anyway, it's this I'm pouring over." she continued. Dom recognised the purple spine.
"The Carnivorous Carnival!" the younger woman beamed. Hermione had been Dom's mentor into Muggle literature, especially Lemony Snicket books. Victoire and Fleur had wondered where Dom had gone off to, and laughed when they realised and saw the Snicket book in her hands. It was then a light-bulb went off in Hermione's head.
"Victoire... Fleur... Dominique..." she muttered under her breath. "Hang on you three, let me get the camera." And with three puzzled looks, Hermione was ready to take a picture. "Fleur, why don't you get in the middle? Dom, go on your mum's right side." the Muggle-born smiled, and ignored Dom's protests about awkwardness, for it was true - Fleur clocked at a willowy five foot ten, Victoire was five foot nine, but Dom had somehow followed in Molly Senior's footsteps and ended up at five foot three.
"And one, two, three, snap!" Hermione beamed, the part-Veelas smiling back at her.
As Fleur ruffled her girls' hair, the photographer chuckled - not even Dominique had got the internal joke, as far as Hermione could figure out. As Fleur and Dom saw the photo later on, Dom looked like she wanted to groan and laugh at the same time.
"Oh Auntie Herm, really?" Dom teased, elbowing Hermione like she used to. "V.F.D?"
"Do not mock me, please." Hermione responded, winking.
"I feel like this whole situation has been the consquence of an unfortunate prank." Dom smiled, ribbing Hermione jovially.
AN: With only a week ago, Christmas seemed to grip me particularly and finally my writer's block is resolved a bit! 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' was my other main series-long obsession as a kid, so it seemed natural for Hermione to be a fan. Fun fact - if you cut these silly Author Notes, the whole thing is exactly 500 words.