Author's Note: I obviously do not own Hetalia. I apologize in advance for any glaring improbabilities associated with the skiing/snowboarding. I am ashamed as a Canadian to say that I have never been either skiing or snowboarding. I also apologize in advance for the lack of action in the first chapter - but bear with me, it gets better (I think.)

The snow was falling outside in light flakes and Maddie heaved a heavy sigh as she turned her attention from the icy windowpane to the restless boy beside her. Her brother never could handle long car rides, and she could sense from his constant groans that he had left the little patience he possessed about an hour behind them. She could also tell that the reason behind his impatience was hunger, as each grunt was preceded by the aggressive rumbling of Alfred's stomach. Maddie chuckled, musing to herself that his stomach's grumblings perfectly accompanied his personality.

As her bangs fell softly in front of her eyes, she wondered if everyone's stomach made noises that gave away their personality. Her query was quickly answered by a light gurgle from her own abdomen. Yes - now she too was hungry. She decided it would be best if she came out with it right away, as Alfred could no doubt wait much longer. Leaning forward, she gently tapped their father on the shoulder.

"Dad, I'm feeling a little hungry, and from the sound of his stomach so is Alfred." She was answered with a disgruntled nod.

"Is that so?" came the lightly accented voice. It was more of a statement than a question, and Maddie nodded slowly while Alfred was squirming in his seat, clearly showing agreement.

"Pops, can we stop at McDonald's?" he suggested hopefully. He could almost taste the burger that was moments away from his hands. Another disgruntled sound came from the driver's seat.

"Oi, you do know that we are almost there, right? I can make you some food when we arrive." Maddie felt her stomach churn at the thought. As much as she loved her father, she would rather go hungry than eat his cooking - if you could even call it that. A small whimper escaped her lips, and Alfred groaned in disgust.

"But I don't want your nasty scones, I want a hero-burger!" was his reply. He was blunt enough for the both of them, but she knew what was coming next. The complaint from the lanky teen had elicited an indignant scoff from their father, followed by a raised tone of scolding. Alfred rebutted this with his usual whining and taunting of British cuisine, which raised the volume of noise in the car even further. Sighing, she interjected as she always did before things got too out of hand.

"M-maybe we should just pull into that place," she said, pointing at a nearby fast food joint. She was recieved with a questioning glance. "If only to shut him up," she whispered, gesturing to Alfred. Sensing his defeat, their father pulled into the turning lane that led to the greasy burger place and groaned. Alfred jumped in delight - he would get his burger.

"We are not getting out of the car though, just going through the drive-thru. It's freezing outside and I'd rather not have my pores infested with the fry-oil that lurks in the air in those bloody establishments." It was his own slice of victory, and Maddie knew that Alfred would be satisfied just as long as he got his ham- er.. hero-burger.

The car creaked over a speed bump and pulled into the parking lot. Their father headed straight to the drive-thru lane. Being the middle of winter in a small town, the place was not busy. Alfred was mumbling a list of possible orders to himself as the car came to a halt at the order box.

"Welcome to McDonald's," began an uninterested teenager on the other end. "Like, how may I take your order?" They made their orders quickly - their father only asking for a coffee (while muttering something about tea at the wheel) - while Alfred ordered his two burgers, milkshake and large fries. How he could stomach so much of the food was beyond her; she ordered only medium fries. "Your order comes to $15.72. Like, thanks for choosing McDonald's." The voice sounded again.

On cue, their car inched forward toward the pick-up box and they payed for their food. Alfred quickly scrambled to retrieve his precious meal from the paper bag. Happy with his burgers, he began to scarf them down. Maddie let out a chuckle and began to munch on a french fry. Through a full mouth, her brother managed to choke out, "D'd 'nyone 'lse n't 'xpect a boy at th' p'ck-'p?" The garbled speech would have made sense to no one but them. All three shared a hearty laugh as the car made its way back onto the main road.

She could already tell that this was going to be a strange week.

The old car rattled onto a side road just as Maddie finished the last of her french fries. Alfred had finished his meal long ago, wolfing it down as if he hadn't eaten in years. Anyone who watches him eat would think he was malnourished something terrible. She thought to herself, vision drifting to the world rushing by her window. It was a familiar road; they had been to this particular resort once before, long ago. Though she hadn't seen the surroundings in quite some time, ten years had not changed the place much.

Magnificent snow-covered conifers rushed by her window while jagged mountain cliffs formed the backdrop. As bitterly cold as winter was, it created the most serene and beautiful of scenes. Imagining small ice crystals forming on her scarf as she breathed into it, she could not wait to inhale the crisp, clear air at the top of the hill. Thinking about finally skiing again was making her antsy, as she hadn't run down a hill since the season ended earlier in the year. There was something so pure about being at a ski resort the week it opened for the season. Fresh fallen snow that hadn't been trampled yet, being the first one to run down the hill, the silence in the moments before making that first push downwards - it was all too thrilling.

Maddie shifted back in her seat and closed her eyes, imagining the view from the peak. The car noisily rattled onto a gravel road, and continued its incline towards the resort. It wasn't much further now - maybe fifteen minutes drive. She wondered if she would meet any interesting people during their stay, remembering the good friends she had made last time. In a skiing for beginners lesson with other seven-year-olds, she had met many new friends. There was a smiling Finnish boy named Tino, his tall friend Berwald, a small grumpy boy named Vash, and a shy but skilled Austrian named Roderich.

After stumbling several times while trying to keep her footing, Roderich had showed her the proper way to balance herself when moving down the hill. Vash huffed haughtily, but in his arrogance, he himself fell off balance. Red-faced, he clambered back to his feet. Both boys had apparently been skiing together for years already. She spent the remainder of the day practicing on the bunny hill with Tino while Berwald watched from the side, which she attributed to the fact that he seemed embarrassed by his own lack of co-ordination. Alfred had spent the day snowboarding, which she was grateful for, since he would have laughed at her stumbling. At the end of the day she had improved her technique thanks to Roderich and found a friend in Tino. To that day the two still conversed, though it was through email, as he had returned to Finland to live with his grandparents.

She reclined again in thought. Maybe she would meet some new friends in their week here, but this time it would not be in a lesson. Her skills were more fine-tuned now, through years of practice, and she did not need lessons. No - her friends this time would come through worthy adversaries as she raced down the hill, or maybe from a friendly game of pool in the rec room. Perhaps she would even see some of those same people from her lesson so many years ago.

Her eyes closed in thought again, but the car jerked to a stop. In her pensive state, she had not seen the approaching lodge; they had finally arrived. She opened her eyes only to witness the comical sight of Alfred squishing his face up against the icy glass of the car window. If only she could see it from the view of the people outside the car! Maybe his face would get stuck to the glass itself. Now that would be a fun story to tell back at school.

"Alfred, lad, don't you think it would be a more effective way of taking in the sights if you opened the door?" His hand shot to the door handle in excitement as he gripped his bag and took off towards the lodge door.

"C'mon you slowpokes! The day is still young and I want to get in some good hill time before dinner!" he called back before dissapearing inside. Their father sighed and grabbed his own belongings from the trunk as she climbed out of the back seat and took in a slow breath of fresh air.

"Well I suppose we might as well hurry after him before he causes any trouble." He said as he locked the car and took off after his mischievous son. Maddie grabbed her bags and shut the door with her foot. Peering over the edge of the small cliff, she sighed dreamily at the beautiful valley below before heading to the lodge herself.

Oh, how she had missed this place.

From her initial perception of the entry hall, the place had not changed much inside either. The sounds and bustling of people rang through the building, and the comforting aroma of fireplace smoke prickled in her nostrils. Hanging above the doorway were the ever-present animal busts, which she had learned ten years ago had been the prized kills of the owner and his son. The same worn carpet rested beneath her feet that was there all those years ago. Maddie scoured the ground for the wear-spot from her memory.

She found it in the carpet space in front of the guest couches in the lounge. Kneeling down to inspect the section of carpet more intensively, she pressed her gloved hands against the rough surface. She could remember the day it was made as if it were yesterday. Worn out from the day's excitement, Alfred had fallen asleep by the warming lull of the fire. He still wore his rough winter boots on his feet, and was rustling his body around, an action that he had done since infancy. Even when he slept, the boy was restless. The mark would never had resulted had it not been for the fact that their father, too, had fallen asleep on the couches, with her brother's head cradled in his gentle hands. She didn't dare disturb them, and instead settled her aching body on the last seat left on the plush couch, slipping into pleasant dreams herself.

To anyone who had seen it, the sight was endearing - an entire family huddled together, basking in the soft glow of the fire. However, the detail of taking off his boots that Alfred had neglected warranted a rude awakening by the owner's wife. Apparently his constant shifting during his slumber had astonishingly worn away at the rough carpet, leaving the wear mark that she was touching at that moment. The woman had been angry, but her husband had been more understanding, simply dismissing the problem and remarking on how it would be an interesting story to tell the guests and snapping a shot of the sleepy family.

Maddie gently lifted her head and turned her attention to the photos above the mantle. There, on the left-hand side was their picture, worn away by the years. It was surrounded by others as well, other families and coupled that had passed through the resort at some point or another. She slowly lifted herself to study the picture at a closer distance. All three of them looked groggy from sleep, but still blissful from their comfort. Alfred's face was molded in a yawn while her own eyes were fluttered half-closed and their father wore a confused look through his sleepiness. Remembering the wear in the carpet reminded her of how different they were back then, yet still the same as now, much like the hall itself.

Upon further study, she noticed the minute details that had changed the room she was standing in. The mouldings around the base of the wall were new, as was the coat of wine-red paint that covered the walls. The feeling the room gave off was now more rustic, as some would call it. Perhaps that just came along with the aging of the lodge. Skiting her fingers across the red walls, she made her way to the room where the check-in desk was. Their father was conversing with the small blond woman at the desk while her brother was fidgeting with his jacket zipper. She calmly placed her bag on the floor and spoke so quietly that only Alfred could hear her.

"The mark is still there, and so is the picture." She was recieved with a small chuckle.

"I am surprised the new owners haven't tore out this ugly stuff yet." he mused, kicking his feet at the floor. When their father had heard that the resort had changed hands, he had immediately suggested they go for a week that coming winter.

"I have a feeling that it's not staying much longer, judging by the other renovations they have already made." she replied, with a hint of sadness in her voice. She lifted her head to the petite woman at the check-in desk. Was she one of the family that had bought the place? Maddie regarded the woman's short blond hair and decided that she could not be more than fifteen years old. Studying the girl's face, she perceived the round shape and plumpness that could only be attributed to youth, and the girl wore a purple hair bow to boot. She was fumbling at the keyboard, attempting to get the family of three checked-in, but her inexperience was slowing the process down. Flustered, she uttered an apology at the increasingly agitated British man that was Maddie and Alfred's father.

"I'm sorry, I'm new at this! I'll go get my brother, he knows how to do this," she chirped before scuttling to the doorway behind her. "One moment please." Their father let out a frustrated sigh that seemed to say 'this is what happens when you leave the new girl at the desk opening week.' Maddie placed a reassuring hand on her father's shoulder and he turned with a warm smile.

"Despite it all, I'm glad we decided to come here again." she let the words slip from her lips.

"I am too," Alfred's voice interjected. "Even if this is taking forever!" It was clear that the teen wanted to be on the slopes snowboarding, perhaps chatting up some cute foreign girls or something. At his complaint, the small girl returned with a taller blond man in tow. Well, he was not tall exactly, just taller than the girl. The man wore a scowl that seemed etched into face permanently. He did not give off an air of friendliness, however the vibe he gave was not hostile either. The girl whispered something into his ear and he sat down at the desk, fingers flicking rapidly over the keys.

"Last name?" he demanded more than asked. Their father supplied the name and it was quickly entered into the computer. As the man's concentration was upon the keyboard, Maddie noticed something faintly familiar about his huffed voice and scowling face. Before she could place him in her mind, his voice came again. "You're all checked in. Room 203, here are your keys. Enjoy your stay." Without hesitation, Alfred and her father made their way towards the elevator. Maddie added a quiet 'thank you' and picked up her bags, studying the man's face as she headed to where her brother and father waited. Just as she arrived at the door, it gave a soft ding and it slid open, empty. Hauling all their bags into the lift, Maddie ventured a question.

"Did that man seem familiar to you?" she was answered by two simultaneous head-shakes. No luck. Maybe she had just seen someone that looked like him on TV or something. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind as the elevator made its soft ding again and the door slid open once again. She made her way to the room in quiet excitement, while her twin brother was much more vocal about his own anticipation.

"I can't wait to get out on the slopes!" he repeated, shaking with glee. "Maybe I'll meet some hot chicks too!" Typical Alfred. Maddie chuckled at the amazing differences between herself and her brother - for being twins, they sure didn't act like it. Alfred was loud, boisterous, even borderline arrogant, while she was quiet and reserved, but deeply passionate. Though she rarely showed her passionate side, it was hard to ignore when she was racing down the hill.

Even if she was largely ignored at school compared to her over-exuberant brother, no one could deny her presence on the slopes. It was the only thing she held above Alfred: agility and skill on the ski hill. The boy was good, she could give him that, but at the end of the day she could tell he had face planted almost tenfold from what she had. Perhaps it was his lack of attention to detail, or the magnitude of her own, but no one could deny that she, Maddie Kirkland, was an amazing skier.

And so she stayed quiet in her daily life, anticipating the day that the snow would begin to fall, and the local hills would open. Winter had easily become her favourite season as a child, and when the soft flakes began to fall, usually in the still November air, she rushed outside with her large woolen coat and savoured the icy crystals on her tongue. As she shifted her glance from the interior of their room to the large window, she let out a small gasp of delight. The view from their room was gorgeous.

Dropping her bags on the couch, she pressed her still-gloved hand to the glass. She wanted outside right then, and she wasn't ready to wait. At a hurried pace, she emptied her bag into the dresser next to one of the beds. She grabbed all that she needed and rushed into the bathroom to change. As cozy as the warmth of the room was, the crisp inviting view of the valley had grabbed her interest with intense agility. In a flash, she was all changed, and she yelled something back to her brother and father as she whipped out of their room. Who would have guessed that she would have been on the slopes before the impatient Alfred?

Yay! First chapter is done. This is my first fic. Tell me what you think in a review, please?