"Do you knit?" Peregrine asks as she works on a blue sock.

"A little," I answer, "but I'm not good enough or patient enough to make a sock. Right now I'm making a blanket for my cousin." I pull the knitting project out of my backpack. I'd forgotten that I'd put it in there, but I guess you have everything you need in the Holiday House. "The blanket is actually for a cat," I admit. "I don't think I would be patient enough to knit a human-sized blanket."

Silver Crystal joins us with her present.  "Hey, guys!" she says, opening her present. She grins with excitement at the contents. Then she picks up a marshmallow and stabs it with a roasting stick.

I pull my grey coat tighter around me, but it's not doing much to stop the cold. Thousands of snow flakes dance around me, obscuring my vision, and I begin to stumble. My breathing becomes panicked as I whirl around, desperately searching for somewhere to wait out the storm. Then, I see a soft glow coming from a nearby building, and begin to make my way towards it. I feel a bit silly for panicking when a shelter was only a few yards away, but I'm not used to blizzards at all. The wooden door creaks open softly and I step inside, quickly pulling it closed behind me. Inside are a group of CBers who must have also been caught in the storm. I bit my lip, unsure where to go, but I'm still shivering, so I head over to the fireplace, hoping to warm up. 

"What about you?" Wree asks. 

"I'm pretty good," I respond. "I love your dog, by the way!"

"Thanks!" she (?) says.

All of a sudden, I notice that there's a huge package in the corner with holes on the top and my name in big letters. I walk over to it, noticing that Silver Crystal also is opening a present. 

When I get to the box, I notice that there's a sound coming from inside it. It sounds like... panting? Wait, I think, what exactly is in this box?? I'm a little nervous now, but I tear it open, curious to find out. Suddenly, something jumps on me and begins to lick my face! It's the dog of my dreams. A golden retriever! For me! I squeal in excitement and start to cry a little in joy because this is what I've always wanted. I hug the dog and walk back over to my chair with the dog following me.

I realize that I should probably name her. I start to brainstorm a list in my head, then turn to Wreeboo and ask "What do you think I should name her??" 

I stand up from my armchair to retrieve some hot chocolate from the dispenser on the nearby counter. The steaming liquid pours out, and I take a careful sip. It's the perfect temperature. I carry the mug back over to the armchairs I was sitting at. Starchaser is now sitting with Wreeboo as well, and she has a beautiful golden retriever puppy sitting at her feet. I walk up as Starch is asking what to name her, and Wreeboo suggests Akira.

"Cute dog! Akira is a great names. Or Dixie. Or Freya?" All the names I'd been considering with my family when we got a dog come spilling out, and Starch considers each one as I sip my hot chocolate.

Inside my gift is a group of spheres. No, not just spheres, they're eggs, a whole cluster of them. I tentitivley reach down and brush my fingertips against the smooth surface of one of them, and spiderweb cracks appear as it starts to crack. The other two eggs fracture and fall apart and soon, three baby dragons are crawling out, each one only as big as my hand. I grin and almost squeal out loud. This place knows me too well. I let one climb in my hand and put it on my shoulder, where it falls asleep right away. I hold the other two in my hands and turn to Lupine and Peregrine, who are both looking a mix of surprise and intruige. 

"Any name ideas?" I ask them, holding up the little reptiles. 

Silver Crystal's gift is a box of bany dragons! They crawl on her shoulders, making cute gurgling noises. Silver Crustal asks what to name them.

I point to a yellow-green one perched on her head. "Moss?" I suggest. 

I curl up in a soft armchair by the fire and take in the commotion around me. Silver has just opened a box full of baby dragons, and is pondering what their names should be. Wreeboo and Starchaser have dogs curled up beside them, and I wonder if they received them as gifts, like Silver did her dragons. I'm curious what I would find under the tree, but I hang back, too shy to join the crowd. 

"Ooh, Moss is a cute name!" I reply, petting the newly named dragon. A red dragon pokes my finger with her tiny wing. "Hm, what about Scarlett for this one?" I ask myself, holding it up. I flaps it's little wings and tumbles through the air before landing on one of the presents. I pick it up and notice it's addressed to peppermint, who's hanging out near the outskirts of the group.

"Hey pepper!" I call to her. "I found your gift!" I hold it out to her. 

Lupin knits on the blanket she pulled from her backpack.

"It looks very nice!" I tell her.  "It's taken me quite a while to get this far on the sock.  I keep making mistakes and having to rip it out.  Hopefully I get it right from now on." 

A cracking sound catches my attention and I look to the source of the sound.  A cluster of eggs nestled in Christmas wrapping paper on Silver Crystal's begin to crack.  Small dragonets push their way out from the confines of their eggs.  I watch them, intrigued.  Bits of shell fall off Crystal's lap on to the floor around her feet.

"Any name ideas?" she asks.

"Moss?" Lupin suggests for a green one.

Crystal seems to like the name Moss.  She names a red one Scarlette. 

I look in to the fire as I try to think of names.

"Hey Pepper!  I found your gift!"

I turn around and see Crystal give Pepper a package.  Pepper shyly takes it and makes to back to the outskirts of the group again.  I smile at her and motion to a chair next to me.

"You can join our group!" I say.

Pepper smiles back and takes the chair, holding her package carefully in her hands. 

I look over to Crystal and smile more as her dragons climb across her lap and over her head. Their minuscule claws catching on her hair.  A black dragonet with silver scales scattered among the black lurches towards me.  I lift it up and look at it closely before placing it back on Crystal's lap.

"That one could be Galaxy", I say.  Pointing to the one I had held. 

I carefully take a seat next to Peregrine, trying to avoid jostling the box. Small holes have been poked into the light brown wrapping paper, and there's a soft rustling sound coming from it. I turn to Peregrine and thank her softly. I'm happy to be part of the group. Then, I tear away the paper and open the cardboard box it was concealing. Inside is a tiny, round bird with gray and brown feathers that are speckled with little white dots. I can't help the bright smile that spreads across my face. My little bird chirps happily and flies up onto my arm, where she perches to survey the room. I laugh brightly. This was the perfect gift!