"Come on, Katniss," Prim says. "You've been dragging your feet all morning. We have to go soon if we want to rent a toboggan. You know they'll run out if we don't get there early enough."

"It won't be the same this year without the Hawthornes." I reluctantly put my coat on and trudge out to my old Jeep. I'm going. I'm just not happy about it.

"We'll get to go sledding with them again after the New Year. They'll only be gone on their ski trip for a few weeks," Prim buckles herself in.

"Yeah, a lot can happen in a few weeks," I grumble as I pull out of the driveway and onto the snow covered street.

Tobogganing is a family tradition started by my Dad going back as far as I can remember. We always start the tobogganing season off on the Saturday before Christmas and go every Saturday after while there's still snow on the ground. The year our father passed, Mom met Mrs. Hawthorne in a support group for widows of the fallen miners. The support group scheduled a tobogganing trip that year and it created a new tradition for both families that held up until this year.

"Couldn't they have waited until after the New Year to go skiing?" I say as I merge onto the highway.

"You're just jealous that Madge's father invited Gale's whole family to go on a ski trip and they didn't invite you."

"What? No! OK, I'm a little jealous that we never get to go on ski trips or fancy holiday vacations. Mom's always working. She never takes off enough time to take a vacation even if we had the money for a trip like that."

"You know she would if she could." I look over at Prim and see the sadness in her eyes. "She works so hard to forget dad that sometimes I think she forgets us too." I know it's true. Even after five and a half years the only way Mom can cope with the loss of Dad is to throw herself into her work. She takes extra shifts whenever she can. It's as if she can't stand to be home because it reminds her that he's not there.

This is no way to start of the tobogganing season. I need to make Prim feel better. "I know, Prim. Why don't we start our own tradition? You and me, no matter what's going on we get together every year on the Saturday before Christmas and kick off the sledding season by tobogganing together down Heavensbee Hill?"

That puts a smile on Prim's face. "Yeah! Even when you go off to college next fall or after we both graduate and get married, we'll still get together for the…" She hesitates, then her smile grows wider as she finishes, "The Everdeen Sister's Annual Toboggan Run! Deal?"

I doubt I'll ever get married, but I want to cheer Prim up and having a tradition with her even when we get older would be a great thing. "Deal."

With our moods lightened, Prim and I sing along to the Christmas songs on the radio for the rest of the trip to Heavensbee Hill. When we arrive I see that the parking lot is full. We did get a late start because of my hesitation to even come this morning and I hope we don't miss out on renting a toboggan. That would really put a crimp in the inauguration of our new tradition. I drop Prim off at the door so she can get in line while I go park.

After driving around the crowded parking lot for a few minutes, I finally find a spot toward the back. I walk up to building hoping that I don't find a disappointed Prim waiting for me in the lobby. She must either still be in line or she's got us a toboggan because I don't see her right away.

As I make my way toward the rental counter I can see Prim standing with a group of four other people, all fair-haired like her. She looks like she could be a part of their family, unlike when she and I would come here with the Hawthornes; she stood out as the lone blonde in a sea of dark hair. As I get closer I see that Prim is talking with Delly Cartwright. She's in my year at school, probably the friendliest girl in town. Next to Delly stands Peeta Mellark and one of his brothers, each holding a toboggan, and a younger boy who I assume is Delly's little brother. Peeta's brother is the first to spot me walking toward them. He elbows Peeta in the side making him look up. Those brilliant blue eyes that I often see looking my way in the halls at school before flitting away don't break contact today as I walk up to my sister's side.

Prim looks up when I clear my throat. "Katniss, there you are. I got to the rental counter too late. Delly and her friends rented the last two toboggans, but they offered to let us join them if we buy the hot cocoa afterward. What do you think?"

I hear a hint of hope in her voice. I hesitate, but I know I can't turn her down. It's my fault that we're late and it would be a long, sad drive back home if we don't get to go tobogganing today. "Sure. Why not?"

"Great," Delly jumps in. "I already introduced Prim to everyone. This is my little brother Sammy." Delly tugs on the small boy's hood causing him to smile up at me. She turns and puts her arm around the older Mellark boy. "This is my boyfriend, Rye and of course you know Peeta from school."

I look up toward Peeta as she says his name and the shy smile on his face warms my heart just a bit as he pulls a yellow knit beanie over his curly blond hair. I can't contain the blush that spreads across my face as I look on in surprise. I had always thought Peeta was Delly's boyfriend. They always hang around each other at school, although now that I think about it they never hold hands or anything else that couples usually do in the hallways.

Delly raises her eyebrows in question when I don't say anything. Prim's elbow in my side breaks through my shocked silence. "Oh, hi everyone. It's nice to meet all of you. Ready to go?" Without waiting for an answer I grab Prim's hand and drag her toward the exit to the sledding hill.

When we get outside, I notice that the wind has picked up and it seems a few degrees colder than when I entered the building. I raise my hood and wrap my scarf around my face. The only thing left uncovered is my eyes. Prim is similarly bundled up. We Everdeen girls are serious about our tobogganing. Peeta walks up to us and says, "I guess you two are sledding with me. I hope you don't mind."

I don't know how I expected the group to split. I think I just assumed that it would be girls on one toboggan and boys on the other because that's how we usually go with the Hawthornes. Gale's little sister Posy always rides with Prim and me and Gale rides with his brothers. I guess Delly would want to ride with her boyfriend and her little brother. I just give Peeta a quick nod and start walking toward the line at the top of the hill.

As we wait in line to go down the hill I keep quiet. I'm not much of a talker anyway, but Prim starts telling Peeta how much she loves to look at the cakes in the Mellark's Bakery window whenever we walk through town. Peeta blushes and says, "Thanks, Prim. I decorate all the cakes. It seems I have a knack for it."

I guess I shouldn't be surprised. He draws and paints so beautifully. I can always pick out which pieces are his whenever the art class has an exhibit.

When we get to the front of the line, the attendant tells us we have to go tallest in the back and shortest in the front on the toboggan. I know this. Every year that we've gone sledding after my father died, I have been in the back of the toboggan. This year though, I'll be in the middle with Peeta sitting behind me. A shiver runs through me that has nothing to do with the cold air.

When it's our turn, Peeta lays the toboggan down at the top of the run and holds it steady so Prim and I can climb in. I try to sit as far forward as possible to give Peeta plenty of space behind me, but Prim's legs have grown long these last few years so it really doesn't make much difference. I take in a deep breath and hold it as Peeta sits down behind me. Peeta's knees are on either side of me and he tries to lean back to give me room, but the attendant instructs him to lean forward and grab the ropes next to my hips. When he does, Peeta's chest is pressed against my back. I release my breath with a shudder as I feel surrounded by his warmth.

I wrap my arms around Peeta's legs and grab the ropes on each side of the toboggan. I'm so glad my cheeks are hidden behind my scarf because I'm sure they are beet red. Tobogganing is such an innocent pursuit, but it feels so intimate being surrounded by Peeta. Prim has her arms around my legs by the time the attendant begins to push us forward. We pick up speed quickly and I realize that we're going down the hill. I can barely feel the cold wind whipping past. We reach the bottom of the hill before I know it and the toboggan slowly comes to a stop. Prim releases my legs right away and starts scrambling to get up. I realize that I'm so comfortable that I don't want to move, but I hear another toboggan approaching on our left so I let go of Peeta's legs so we can both get up as well.

I look over at the other toboggan and see that it's Delly, Rye and Sammy. Rye lets out a "Whoop" and Sammy is giggling asking, "Can we go again?" I see Delly nod and take Rye's hand. Prim runs over and challenges Sammy to a race back up the hill. I realize I'm smiling as I begin to follow everyone else back up the hill.

Peeta is walking next to me, dragging the toboggan behind him. I look over and see his cheeks are red from the cold and some of his curly blond hair has escaped from beneath his yellow beanie. The freezing temperatures must be making his blue eyes water because they appear to sparkle as he asks, "Ready to go again?"

I look down to hide my smile even though I know it's covered by my scarf. "Yes," I say, unable to think of anything more.

Peeta walks quietly next to me for a few minutes, but then he says, "I was sort of hoping that you were going to sing as we went down the hill."

I look over, confused, "Why would you think that I would sing while we were sledding?" Even if Peeta was here sledding at the same time as Prim and me in the past, we never sing when we go sledding with Posy.

Peeta looks at me sheepishly. "I rode with you and your father once, when we were little." I must still look confused because he continues, "Prim must have been too little then, because it was just you and your father. I think you and I were five, in kindergarten. I was here with my dad and my two older brothers. My mother never came with us. Anyway, it was my first time sledding. As we were waiting in line my brothers told me that I had to go all by myself the first time. They said it was the rules."

He smiles as he says, "Of course, I believed everything they told me back then and I got really scared. You and your father were in line behind us. You must have been listening in because you spoke up and said to me, "You don't have to go down the hill all by yourself. You can ride with us if you want to." I was shocked. I had never questioned anything my brothers ever told me before that."

"I looked up at my dad to see if it would be OK with him and your father told him, "It looks like you have a hand full with the other two, he can ride with us today if you don't mind." My dad agreed and seemed relieved. I know we were a bit much back then. After my dad and brothers went down the hill, it was our turn. You got in the front of the sled and I got in right behind you and of course your father got in the back. As we were sledding down the hill, you and your dad started singing Christmas carols. I thought your voice was so pretty. I was so in awe listening to the both of you singing that I wasn't scared at all. We must have gone down the hill together at least a dozen times that day. I was having so much fun, sledding and laughing and singing with you and your father. In fact, my brothers got tired before I did and my dad had to come get me to go home. Anyway, when you and Prim agreed to join us today, I was sort of hoping that you might still sing when you go sledding."

Peeta's story amazes me. I remember singing with my dad when I was little. Even after Prim came along we always sang when we went down the hill. I do vaguely remember a little boy joining us one time. "That was you?" I say. Peeta smiles and nods. "I forgot all about that. I haven't really sung much since my father passed away. I'll sing with Prim to cheer her up sometimes, but I definitely don't sing while sledding."

"That's too bad," Peeta says. "You have a beautiful voice."

I don't know how to respond to this, so I don't say anything, but I can't help the smile that spreads across my face. We're at the top of the hill so I just follow Peeta as he walks up to Prim and asks her if she's ready to go again.

We go down the hill several more times. Every time we do it brings back sweet memories of sledding with my father. Peeta and I talk a little when we walk up the hill after each run. Prim's having fun chasing after Sammy, so I guess she doesn't mind being left out of our conversation.

After about six runs down the hill Delly says that she has to call it quits because Sammy is getting cold. Prim offers to take Sammy inside for hot cocoa. After she assures Delly that she doesn't mind at all, Prim and Sammy disappear into the building. The remaining four of us make our way back to the toboggan run.

Delly and Rye go down the hill first. When it's our turn, I realize that I'll be alone with Peeta this time and I feel that shiver again that has nothing to do with the cold weather. I sit down on the toboggan and Peeta sits down right behind me. Even though we have plenty of room because Prim isn't with us, Peeta presses his chest against my back. I wrap my arms around his legs and grab the ropes. I look down as Peeta grabs the ropes next to my hips. Even through both of our coats I can feel Peeta's heart beating against my back. If I wasn't wearing my hood, I'm sure I could feel Peeta's breath on my neck. Suddenly I wish I had worn a different coat without a hood. I feel the toboggan moving forward and we swiftly pick up speed. Peeta lets go of the ropes and wraps his arms around my waist. I lean back so his head is resting on my right shoulder. Being in front, I'm supposed to be steering the toboggan, but the feeling of flying down the hill, wrapped in Peeta's arms is overwhelming my senses. Before I can think better of it, I lean to my left and let go of the rope in my right hand. I pull down my scarf and turn my head. I cup Peeta's cheek in my hand and press my lips to his. His lips are a little chapped, but soft and warm. I become so lost in the kiss that I completely forget where we are. The cold and the wind both distant memories as the warmth of the kiss spreads throughout my body.

Suddenly I hear laughing. Peeta and I break apart and look up. Delly and Rye are standing over us looking very amused. I can feel my cheeks warm as I realize that the toboggan has stopped and we are wrapped around each other. I look back at Peeta and see that he's just as embarrassed as I am, but he presses his forehead against mine and gives me a warm smile. As we untangle ourselves from each other, I realize that we're lucky we didn't crash into anything. Before we get up I whisper in Peeta's ear, "That's the most fun I think I've ever had on a toboggan."

Peeta chuckles and reaches down to help me get up. I take his hand, holding on tightly. At this moment I realize don't want to ever let go.