Santa Claus comes at night.
This fact was widely known. Santa Claus came not with a Bang but a whisper, maybe because he didn't want to be stopped by the kids he gave gifts to – and there wasn't anything weird in it, as he had so many of them to visit in just one night, to give at least a handful of candy! And this was why he came when they were asleep. Sometimes, when the adults were very, or even extremely, nice, they got something too.
For a few good years Ted was trying not to sleep this one night. He tried everything: cold water, dripping on his neck all the time; light left on; open window, through which cold, December air was flowing; once he tried even drinking his father's coffee, but it was too bitter for him to try it again. All was in vain. He never managed to see Santa.
'You're so stupid, Ted' a friend at school told him once. 'Santa doesn't exist. It's the parents who give the gifts.'
Ted couldn't agree with that. His birthday was on Christmas, so if the parents were the ones giving the gifts, they would prefer to save some money by not giving him one of the gifts. Not to mention that Santa brought gifts which made mum squeal in fear and dad bring something stain-proof to cover the whole room. Since Ted learned to write, he wrote a letter to Santa every year. And this letter always began with "Dear Santa Claus, I was nice this year and mum and dad don't want to buy me…".
Paints. Modeling clay. Football fan's face painting set. Pastels. His parents never bought him such things. They were always brought by Santa. At least when he considered Ted nice enough.
Ted always thought he was nice. It was just that accidents happened to him. Who could predict that if he stared long enough at a swing, on which his playground mate (and not he) was swinging, the swing would break and the playground mate would get a concussion?
Now Ted was a big boy, he was almost eleven, and he understood that if Santa Claus didn't want to be seen, it isn't nice to peek. He quietly hoped that Santa wouldn't consider silent repeating "bell, bell, bell…", which often made the school bell for a break ring earlier, as naughty. Not to mention another trick, which Ted used during mathematics: when the teacher was looking at the list, he was concentrated on the thought that the name Ted Tonks isn't there. And he wasn't chosen to solve any problems on the blackboard.
So, Ted went to bed. He was quite reluctant to do this, but he respected Santa's decision. It didn't take him a long time to fall asleep.
In the morning, he impatiently threw everything that was inside his stocking on the bed. There was a bar of chocolate, a handful or so cream fudges, a set of paints and – an envelope. He looked at the address. It was written in green ink…