Word Count: 416
"Dad?" Victoire looks up from the packet of roasted almonds she's eating, a frown on her lips.
"What's up, princess?" Bill asks.
She scowls, but Bill knows it's just an act. At fourteen, Victoire insists she's too old to be his princess, but Bill has seen the way she smiles at the term of endearment whenever she thinks no one is watching.
His eldest daughter isn't smiling now, though. Bill hates seeing her look so troubled.
"We have dinner at Grandma Weasley's tomorrow," Victoire says. She rolls the packet up then unrolls it and repeats again and again; Victorie is a bundle of nervous energy tonight.
Bill nods. "I already told Mum you're vegetarian," he assures her. "She'll make sure you have plenty of meatless options."
It had been an easy enough conversation to have. His mother had thought it was a joke at first, but, once she realized Bill was serious, she had started talking about soups and pastas and other delicious things.
"Thanks… But it isn't that. You don't…" Victoire trails off, pink creeping into her cheeks and swallowing her freckles. "I know Grandma and Grandpa Weasley are okay, and you, Mum, Louis, and Dominique get it. But everyone else… What if they make fun of me for it?"
"Oh, baby girl…"
Victoire only decided two weeks ago that she wants to be vegetarian. She seems so devoted to it that everyone stopped questioning it after the first two days.
He doesn't know how her cousins will respond. In a perfect world, he could tell her that they will think it's cool. Truthfully, though, he knows that kids can be unintentionally mean.
"They may not understand," he tells her. "They may even tease you about it. Remember when Aunt Angelina got a nose ring, and Albus said it looked like a shiny bogey?"
Victoire giggles at the memory, nodding. Good. At least it's enough to relieve the tension and take away some of the stress. That's all that matters.
"Family can be a little messy sometimes, but that's okay. You're still family, and you still love one another," he says. "You just keep on being you. Stand your ground when necessary, but remember your family loves you so much, okay?"
Victoire nods, smiling. All nervousness seems to fade away. "Dad, will you try this new tofu recipe I found?"
"Absolutely not."
She rolls her eyes, but she still smiles. Everything is okay, and tomorrow's family dinner will be great. Bill just has to believe.
