Hello everyone! I'm to finally be finished with the first chapter of the sequel to Snares and Strawberries! I hope everyone is happy with it as they were with the first one! A big thank you to everyone who has stuck with me since the beginning and has asked about the sequel, I know it took a little longer then I original thought it would. A huge thank you to my beta MirageMeister! Without further ado, the first chapter to Smoke and Music Notes!

Chapter 1

My fingers dance over the keys, pressing firmly on the porcelain under my fingers. My eyes stay shut as the music flows out of the piano, my cheeks still damp with fresh tears. They never really stop anymore, the relentless stream of salty tears that leak from my eyes without my permission. I play faster, hitting the keys with more force than necessary, drowning out the silence and emptiness that surrounds me.

I hear loud footsteps walking up to my porch and someone slowly opening the door. I don't turn, don't welcome them into my new home, don't offer my visitor tea or lemonade. I'm not the polite hostess I was raised to be; I just keep my fingers on the keys, keep my eyes closed tight.

"Madge?"

I don't respond, pressing on the keys faster and harder. I feel a soft hand on my shoulder, gently urging me to turn around. I close my eyes tighter, the notes pouring out of me as the song lifts to its final measure, and my hands become still over the keyboard.

Strong hands lift me up off of the piano bench and into their arms. I curl up automatically in his arms as he carries me bridal style over to the plush couch that sits in the living room opposite of the piano. My eyes are still closed as he sits down, rubbing circles on my back to try to soothe me.

"Did you get any sleep at all?" I give my head a small nod but it's not enough to satisfy him.

He pulls me into an almost sitting position, forcing me to look at him. He wipes my tear stained cheeks dry, raising an eyebrow in question.

"I tried," I tell him honestly, my voice cracking from my tears. "I really did, but I-I couldn't. Not for long, not here by myself. I'm sorry, Peeta."

He shakes his head at me, his cobalt eyes soft and worried as he looks at me. "Don't be sorry Madgie," he says using his childhood nickname for me.

I nod once, looking down at my lap.

"Are you hungry? I brought some fresh loaves for you." He gets up without waiting for my response, helping me up from the sofa. He walks in front of me to the kitchen where I can see two loaves of bread still hot sitting on the counter.

I sit on one of the tall bar seats that sits around the kitchen counter nibbling on a slice of bread Peeta cuts for me.

It's been two weeks since the cameras left and he's been the only one I can count on. The day we got off the train, bombarded with camera and reporters I had never felt so completely alone.

Victors are usually greeted at the platform by their families standing off to the side next to the reporters but while the Hawthorne's where practically jumping up and down in excitement, my family was standing in the middle of the crowd on a small raised platform, where the mayor and his family always stand to welcome the victor home. And while my mother's and father's smiles were wonderful to see, it stung that I had to watch as Hazelle Hawthorne tried to restrain herself and her children from jumping onto their brother while my family stood gracefully in the crowd of people.

But then I heard an all too familiar voice calling my name, and the fake smile on my face turned into a genuine one. It only took a moment to find Peeta in the throng of people, and when I finally spotted his smiling face I couldn't help myself. I let go of Gale's hand, rushing down the platform steps and ran through the crowd of people that parted as I passed them, making way for their newest victor. When I reached him, I flung myself into his awaiting arms, laughing and crying all at once as he held me tight, picking me off the floor and even twirling me around once.

"You did it Madgie. You did it," he whispered in my ear.

I grinned up at him until I saw Haymitch's face behind him, his grey eyes glaring at me, silently cursing at me to get back on stage. I hugged Peeta once more but he must have felt the shift in my demeanor because he quickly put me back on the floor, his smile still intact but no longer reaching his eyes. I walked briskly back to the platform, making a joke that wasn't really funny about being so glad to be home. The reporters laughed at my lame joke and Gale grabbed my hand tightly, looking at me with what could only be a warning glare hidden behind a smile. I didn't bothering giving him any kind of response, but I did not let go of his hand again.

"You alright?" Peeta asks, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Of course," I say quickly, trying my best to give him a smile. He sees right through it: of course, he knows me too well to be fooled.

"You need rest Madge, it looks like you haven't slept in days." He looks up past my head at something, and I follow his gaze to where the piano stands in the living room. It's a mess, dozens of sheets of music scattered around it.

"It's soothing," I say quietly, ashamed that my best friend has to see me like this.

He sighs, coming to sit on the stool next to mine. "I know it is, and I'm glad you have an outlet, but you need to sleep; you need rest."

"I slept yesterday."

He already knows, of course; he was here when I dozed off in the middle of our conversation. It seems that the only time I've been able to sleep has been when Peeta is around. If not, I always wake up screaming, nightmares of pink birds and little girls with spears in their stomach plaguing my unconscious mind.

"It's too quiet here," I tell him.

That's too true. The house in Victors Village where I am now forced to reside is nearly twice as big as the house I grew up in. And the Mayor's mansion is the largest in the District so needless to say it's an unnecessarily large house. And, of course, I'm here all alone.

My father, being the Mayor, is not allowed to move out of the Mayor's mansion unless he wishes to resign, and my mother is too weak to live here, not that I think she would leave even if she could. Ever since Maysilee left she's been in a deep depression. She hasn't said a thing to me about it, but I can see it in her eyes how much she misses her. I wish she could see how much I miss my aunt too, how much I need my mother right now.

"So," Peeta says conversationally, knowing that I'll appreciate a change of subject. "What do you want to do today?"

I shrug, taking another bite of the slice of bread. "I don't know. Can we go to the bakery?"

Most would scoff at the idea of spending yet another day at the place where their forced to work, but Peeta just smiles and nods, asking me if I'm done. "Just give me a second to get ready."

He nods again and I take off upstairs to the master bedroom, my room. I strip out of the pajamas I'm wearing, taking a glance in the mirror that hangs on my wall. I've gained back a bit of the weight I put off in the arena but I can still see my ribs, my twig like arms. The bags under my eyes don't exactly help my appearance either. I turn on the shower, the water coming out in a flash of cold before warming up.

I sigh, trying to let the warm water relax me, to take away all my pain and heartache. I never knew what really pain was like before these last few days. It makes the cut on my forehead in the arena look like a walk in the park. I'd take a thousand slices to the head by the most feared knife thrower in all of the districts then this.

It took about three days for the Capitol reporters to get bored with us, or perhaps bored with our shabby district, leaving with the promise of seeing us again in a few months for the Victory Tour. We saw them off, of course; it would be bad manners otherwise, and Effie would not permit it. So Gale, Haymitch, and I waved them away at the train station, Gale's hand still firmly placed around mine, and both of our faces pulled up in phony smiles as we waved at the departing train. And the moment it was out of sight, that we were momentarily free from the prying eyes of the Capitol, Gale's hand dropped from mine and he walked away from me. He didn't look back.

The tears flow once again and I quickly wipe my face free of them, turning off the shower and stepping out. I've been overly careful to avoid him, taking all the necessary precautions. But it doesn't stop me from hearing the squeals of laughter that come from his house or catching a glimpse of him and a girl with raven hair tied in a braid walking to and from his house.

She's his cousin now, or at least that's the story the Capitol reporters made up. Can't have one of the star-crossed lovers being best friends with a beautiful girl now can they? They probably would have made up the same story from Peeta and me if I hadn't dislodged anything romantic between us at the interview with Caesar before the Games.

I throw open the doors to my enormous walk in closet, grabbing a yellow sundress and pulling it on over my head. I brush my hair quickly as I slip on a pair of flimsy sandals and head back downstairs.

"Ready?" Peeta asks. I nod, trying my best to give him a real smile. He smiles back at me, taking me by the hand and leading me out of the house through town.

It's still relevantly early, the sky a muted pink color, but the air is already thick with heat. Summers are always brutal here in Twelve. A woman and two young children pass by us and I feel Peeta wrap his arm protectively around me as the woman stares, pulling her children closer to her. Away from me.

I keep my eyes focused on the road in front of me, trying not to look into the faces of the mother and her children. I was almost used to the stares I got before the Games, the hatred plain on people's faces as they pasted me. They hated me for my dresses, for the money in my pocket, for being the daughter of my father, the mayor who they placed their blame for their lives on. I had dealt with the glares and scowls my whole life, I was used to ignoring those who hated me from a distance, but this is different.

They no longer look at me with hate, but with fear. They bore witness to what I did in the Games, they saw me kill Marvel and Cato. To them I am dangerous, murderous, I am no longer the Mayor's daughter with her pretty dresses and hair ribbons, I am a Victor of the Hunger Games. I expected as much, I knew things would never go back to how it used to be, I just didn't think it would go to this extent.

The bakery is almost in sight when Peeta looks down at me with a smile on his face. "Race you?"

I feel a genuine smile appear on my face as I playfully narrow my eyes at him, "You're on."

Peeta's smile widens and he takes off without a second look.

"Hey! I didn't say 'go', cheater!" I yell at him, laughter in my voice as I take off after him.

Peeta and I is the one thing that hasn't changed, or maybe it has but for the better. He laughs as I quickly catch up to him, and I stick my tongue out at him as I pass him, my legs pumping fast.

The bell hanging over the bakery door jingles loudly as I throw open the door, throwing my hands up in victory.

"I win!" I cry out as Peeta dashes in, his face red from the run but his smile is still just as bright.

"Madge, so nice to see you." I turn to see Barley Mellark, Peeta's eldest brother, standing behind the counter.

I open my mouth to return the sentiment when I hear someone cursing in the back room where all the ovens are held.

"Can I get some help here!" Barley and Peeta both look at each other in mild amusement, rushing to the back room. They come back not a moment later, a large tray of steaming hot bread and rolls in their hands.

"Geez, Rye, you know not to take the large tray out without assistance," Barley scolds.

Rye rolls his eyes, "Well that's what I was asking for, assistance."

I giggle softly as the brothers continue to argue, shaking my head at their shenanigans.

"Hiya Madge!" Rye says as the boys place the tray on the counter, taking the hot bread careful off the tray and into the display case on the counter. "Back so soon? Did you miss me that much?"

I laugh as he playfully winks at me. "Well of course I did!"

He grins, elbowing his brothers, "See I told you I was her favorite!"

I laugh again, helping them stack the display case full of the fresh bread and other baked goods.

"Good morning boys."

"Good morning Dad," the boys reply.

I look up from my work to see Mr. Mellark descending the stairs that leads to the living quarters above the shop.

"Good morning Mr. Mellark," I say cheerfully.

He smiles at me, rolling up his sleeves to help us. "Well good morning, Madge. Good to see you again. How have you been?"

"I've been well, thank you." I watch as the Mellark men bend over the tray of freshly baked breads.

It's obvious where Peeta and his brothers got most of their looks, as well as their temperament. I've never heard Peeta's mother speak lower than a screech, and she's been known to go into fits of anger and is not one to spare the rod. I've made a number of cold ice packs for the Mellark brothers over the years.

But Mr. Mellark would never raise a hand to his boys, although he is not one to intervene with his wife's methods of punishment either. Still, I find him much nicer company then his wife.

"Well," he says once we cleared the tray. "Which two are working today?"

All at once the brothers point a finger at each other, causing me, as well as their father, to laugh.

"No way am I working again!" Rye says. "I worked four days this week!"

"I got a date with Cecilia, and if I cancel one more time she's going to kill me!" Barley shouts back at Rye. "Besides I worked yesterday, its Peeta's turn."

"I worked yesterday's night shift!"

Laughter bubbles out of me as I watch them fight, knowing at any second it could turn into a wrestling match between the three.

"My money's on Rye," I tell Mr. Mellark jokingly.

He chuckles, shaking his head at his children. "Alright, boys, since you can't decide who's working, Miss Undersee will decide for you."

"What!" I cry out in horror as I watch the brothers turn their sights on me.

Before I can say another word, Barley is pleading his case to me, telling me about how upset his girlfriend will be. Rye carelessly pushes his way in front of him to beg for the day off, complaining of back and neck ache from all the exertion and even rubbing his neck to demonstrate. Peeta, on the other hand, simply yells out, "I'm your best friend!"

I cover my mouth with my hand to hide my grin. This is why I always want to come here with Peeta, the Mellarks-except for the Missus that is- still treat me like they always have. The Mellark brothers have always looked at me as an adopted sister, especially Peeta and Rye, who are only two years older than us.

Barley is four years my senior, but he is still just as sweet as his younger brothers. And even though they argue and rough house as they are doing now, they still always look out for one another and are very protective of each other.

They're still staring at me and I realize I've yet to say anything. I take my hand off my face, trying to appear professional, but my smile gives me away. "While you all make very valid points, I'm afraid I have to save Peeta."

Rye and Barley groan, and Peeta laughs, slapping his brothers playfully on the backs. I grin as I watch them when I hear a loud knocking on the back door of the bakery.

Barley pushes past me and Peeta, to the door, muttering about something. I keep my eyes glued to the tile floor of the bakery as Barley opens the door with a polite greeting.

"The baker here?" An all too familiar voice asks and I feel my whole body go numb.

Sooo? What did everyone think about the first chapter? I know I'm going more allot more away from the book but I thought it be nice to do something a little different. I know it's short(sorry!) but I'm already finished with the second chapter! So pleeeeease review! As always reviewd will get a kiss from Peeta/Rye/Barley/GALE :D Thanks for reading everyone!