The Hunger Games: Heirs

Chapter Two

On the second day of school, Finnick attends History of Magic with professors Rosalite McGonagall and Vick Hawthorne. He learns how his parents survived the 74th games. In Defense Against The Dark Arts, taught by Professor Weasley (also the headmaster), he learns how cunning villains can be, like Alma Coin, the woman who killed his aunt.

Two weeks later, the first mail arrives. Magnus Cresta-Odair receives letters from Annie Cresta, Johanna Mason, and the Mellarks. Primrose gets letters from her parents, Haymitch Abernathy, Annie Cresta, and Cressida and Pollux, who are currently engaged and living in District 13. Finnick gets letters from the same people as Primrose, plus a letter and a box of chocolates from his "Aunties":

Dear Lovebug,

We hope you're having fun at Hogwarts, bet you're an ace at Quidditch. Maybe at Christmas we can sneak in a broom with you.. Say hi to your sister for us, enjoy the chocolates and don't share them!

Love, Aunties Johanna, Annie, and Enobaria

XOXO

Yes, they do call him "Lovebug",and they are essentially his aunts, but none can replace Primrose Everdeen, dead at thirteen. The January after next, Finnick will be as old as she will ever be.

A few months later, Peeta buys Katniss a necklace and brings her home flowers. When she asks the reason the necklace is just a chain with no pendant, he goes to her dresser and retrieves the pearl he gave her in their second games and fastens it to the chain. It and the flowers are his Christmas gift to her, not to mention the quiet night they have on Christmas Eve, with Katniss on the floor in front of the couch, reading the memory book they made, while Peeta sits on the couch in front of her, playing with her hair and reading over her shoulder.

The following morning, Haymitch and Effie walk in the door wearing matching pajamas covered in cupcakes, Effie squealing, "Merry Christmas!" Haymitch is fairly disoriented, but he is sober enough to catch Primrose as she jumps into his arms. Finnick leads Effie into the den, where Katniss, asleep, is getting her nose tickled by Peeta in order to wake her.

That night, Finnick plays with his new presents and Primrose sits on Haymitch's lap getting her hair braided.

Effie is talking to Peeta about the importance of cake appearance, and Katniss is in the kitchen talking on the phone with Hazelle.

"How are things with Gale? I haven't seen him in ages."

"He's fine, dear. He and his wife are expecting twins, isn't that exciting? I'm going to be a grandmother again!" (Rory already has a child of his own)

"Oh, that's wonderful," Katniss says quickly, realizing she has not seen Gale in nearly fifteen years. She does not even know if the twins will be his first children, and Hazelle didn't tell her his wife's name, so how could she know? "Listen, Hazelle," she says, "When is Gale coming back to 12 for a holiday? You know how much we all miss him."

Hazelle smiles on her end of the phone, realizing how little Katniss knows of Gale's current life. She tells about his wife, how they have been married for nine years and they already have a son, River, and how his wife's name is Maya, she is from District 4 and was Annie's childhood friend. Hazelle tells her that in the District 4 75th reaping, Maya is the black-haired woman who wouldn't stop crying even after Mags volunteered, and how Maya guesses she was the reason Mags volunteered in the first place.

Katniss watches the reaping after everyone has left and the kids are off to bed, and she sees Maya. After Mags volunteers, Katniss walks to the kitchen and calls Gale. He is surprisingly relieved to hear from her, saying how he's called so many times and she has never picked up. Only Peeta, saying how she's always busy. After Katniss hangs up, she remembers how Peeta would always volunteer to answer the phone, supposedly to be sweet, and Katniss had always loved that about him. More often than not, he would hang up and say "Telemarketers" or "Just another Paylor audio message to everyone in Panem. You know, to say that the roads are slick in 7" or "A power line went down in 9" or "It's a snow day in 3" or something of the sort. This had always happened far too often, but Katniss never wondered if he might be lying. It wasn't like Peeta to keep her from talking to Gale, or anyone, for that matter. But could what Gale was saying be true? Could Peeta be keeping her in check?