Just a little something I wrote a while ago and am just now getting around to posting. Based mainly on the book, seeing as how I wrote this before I saw the movie.

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters mentioned in this short story.

My first and most likely last fic for this genre. Enjoy!

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The night was cold and dark. Wind could be heard as it howled past the window. The tree branches scraped against one another, adding to the eerie noise. How could anyone live in such a dreadful place? Sometimes it seemed as though the sun never emerged from behind the clouds during the day, or the moon at night.

Violet Baudelaire lay curled in a ball on the floor, shivering under the thin blanket as she tried uselessly to fall asleep. She could hear Sunny breathing quietly by her head, snuggled contentedly in her curtains.

Why is this happening to us? was the only thought plaguing her mind. Sunny and Klaus shouldn't have to live like this, not in such horrid conditions in such an evil household. When she had promised her parents that she would look after her younger siblings, never in a thousand years did she imagine it would be so very difficult.

Oh, she loved her brother and sister dearly, but she wished she didn't have to be their mother through all of this. She couldn't handle the strain and stress. Almost as soon as the thought entered her mind, Violet shook her head to clear it. How dreadful of me to think such selfish things! This is now my responsibility, and I will uphold it.

She fingered the long hair ribbon in her hand, trying to think of some sort of invention that could get them all out of this mess. That will be as impossible as inventing something to bring back our parents! She quickly closed her eyes to block the unwanted thought of her beloved mother and father.

"Violet?"

The sudden voice startled her and she clutched the ribbon with fright, but it was only Klaus. Klaus, she told herself, not Count Olaf or the hook-handed man or any other terrible member of that troupe.

"Are you awake?" Klaus asked through the darkness.

"Yes," Violet said, "I'm awake."

She heard Klaus sigh, though she couldn't see him. "I hate it here," he muttered. "I absolutely despise it. I despise Count Olaf, and I despise this room."

"I know," was the reply. "I wish I could do something about it."

He didn't say anything more for a moment. Then, "Goodness, it's cold."

Violet hugged the blanket around her body once more before standing and offering it to her brother on the bed. "Here," she said, "I don't need it."

Klaus reached out, but hesitated. "A-are you sure?"

"Yes," his older sister said firmly. "I'm fine. You can use it."

He took the blanket and wrapped it around his shoulders as Violet sat on the floor once more. "I can't sleep," she whispered.

"Neither can I," Klaus admitted. "What do you think is going to happen to us?"

"I don't know." She looked around at the bare, unfriendly room. "I don't know," she said again, quieter, "but I'm almost too scared to guess."

"You don't think he'd hurt us, do you?"

Violet was silent for a long moment before repeating, "I don't know." She sighed in frustration. "There's so much about this situation that I don't know! Maybe if I knew I could fix it, or at least invent something to help us!"

"It's okay, Violet," Klaus said gently. "Sunny and I don't expect you to fix everything."

"But I promised I would, Klaus!" she argued, quickly feeling her throat close. "I promised Mom and Dad that I would protect you! I've failed, Klaus, I've failed them...and I've failed you and Sunny..." She drew her knees up to her chin.

"Hey," Klaus stood from the bed and put on his glasses, joining his sister on the floor with the two blankets. "You haven't failed anyone, and you certainly haven't failed Sunny and me. We both love you very much, and we know that everything will turn out just fine."

Violet pressed the heels of her hands into her closed eyes. "But there has to be something I can do."

The middle Baudelaire glanced around him. He paused and picked up the dark hair ribbon from where it had dropped. "Maybe there is. Do you think you can invent something to make this room warmer?"

The girl took the ribbon and tied up her long hair. Almost instantly he could see the gears turning in her head.

"Perhaps..." Violet blinked, getting her thoughts in order. "Perhaps I do have an idea. Do you see those rocks over there? We could put them outside tomorrow morning when the sun comes up and bring them back inside when it starts to get dark. If they're left out all day, they'll absorb heat and let it off slowly in here."

"That's a wonderful idea! And there are a lot of rocks, so it will probably work. We could put them in the bed and by Sunny, then some on the floor and by the walls." Klaus smiled. "It will work perfectly. See? You do know how to help us, even if it's something as trivial as keeping this freezing place warmer."

The eldest Baudelaire returned the smiled and loosed her hair. The locks fell in tangled masses down her back. "I'd love to have a brush," she mumbled under her breath. "Are you sure there wasn't one in the bags Mr. Poe left with us?"

Klaus shook his head in the negative. "I didn't see one when I put our things into that disgusting box."

"Drat." Violet tried to run her fingers through the dark tresses but they caught in the knots. "I really need one."

"Maybe Justice Strauss has one that you can use. We'll go see her tomorrow after we lay out the rocks."

The two siblings sat in silence, listening to the wind and trees. The darkness suddenly didn't seem quite so foreboding.

"You lied to me," Klaus said with a small chuckle.

"What?" Violet looked at her brother, baffled.

"You're just as cold as I am." He removed the blankets and draped half of the two around his older sister's shoulders, keeping the other half around his own. "We're going to be fine," he said in way of encouragement, though he himself did not truly believe the words however much he may have wanted to. His head lowered to her shoulder, feeling the fatigue catch up to him.

"I hope so," Violet murmured. "I hope so." She leaned her own head down against Klaus's and closed her eyes. For the first time since the fire, she finally felt a faint flicker of faith. Faith in her brother, faith in her sister, and faith in herself.

They would get through this somehow. All they needed was each other.