The first prequel to U&S is now posted! Rose tells about her childhood! The title is A Silver Lining.

I know this chappie's short but I wanted to update! Reactions will be in next chappie!

Lost in Darkness

Chapter Eight: Snowball: Christmas Part One

"Mione, wake up," Ginny said as she shook the girl's shoulder. "It's Christmas!"

Hermione jumped up.

"It is?" she said with childlike pleasure. "Come on, let's go get the others!"

They woke up Harry and Ron and dragged them to the perfect common room, where a huge pile of presents sat inviting the prefects to tear away the wrapping paper.

They dove in immediately. Hermione got lots of books, with which she was very pleased, Ron got lots of candy and prank supplies, with which he was extremely pleased, and Ginny and Harry got combinations of both, pleasing them immensely.

"The rest of the Weasleys are going to be at Rose's house," Harry said.

"We're going to have a huge snowball fight," Ron said anxiously. "Oh, very funny Ginny, very funny."

He had just unwrapped his present from Ginny, a diary. The part which he thought was not amusing was the tag.

"Just like your head, it must be forcibly filled with information. Ginny," Harry read aloud.

"Come on, we need to get to Rose's!" Hermione said.

They pulled on cloaks and warm clothes and got the rest of the gang. Ally and George were there, but Fred and Alex were not. They were quite disappointed, as Alex and Fred were some of the best snowball fighters ever to go to Hogwarts. Gretchen and Sirius filled in.

They split into teams. Team Dragon was all boys, Harry, George, Ron, Bill, and Sirius. Team Unicorn was the girls, Ginny, Ally, Hermione, Rose, and Gretchen. They built forts to hide behind and began.

"We are so winning!" Ally yelled over the wall.

"You are so not!" George yelled back.

*~*~*

Rose pitched a snowball over the wall of the fort and heard a satisfying yell from Ron.

"Ha!" she yelled.

Ally's gloves had fallen off. Rose saw something on her finger glinting.

"Bernard, what's on your finger?" Rose said sternly.

Ally quickly pulled her glove back on.

"Nothing."

"Liar."

She made a grab for the gloved hand. Ally was too surprised to respond. Rose shrieked at the sight of the diamond ring.

"Oh my God!" she yelled. "You're engaged?!"

The snowball war reached dead stop.

"How long? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Just since last night!" Ally said defensively.

"That's great!"

Their discussion was ended when five snowballs fell into their midst. The girls retaliated by taking two buckets of snow, packing it into a hard iceball, and knocking down the guys' fort. The boys immediately surrendered.

"Team Unicorn wins by a long shot!" Rose yelled. "Team Dragon LOST!!! Ha!"

"Now you tell more about the ring!" Hermione said eagerly.

Ally and George exchanged guilty looks.

"He asked me last night. Remember when all four of us went outside? That's when George asked me to marry him."

"Where are Fred and Alex?" Rose said. "They're going to miss Molly and Arthur!"

Ally looked guilty again. Rose glared at her and talked to her privately.

*What's wrong with Alex? Tell me. Now.*

Ally glared at her.

"I'm not telling," she said aloud.

George tapped her on the arm and whispered in her ear. Rose strained to hear what they were saying, but they were too quiet. It must be really serious.

Ally took a deep breath and looked at the crowd gathered in the field.

"Alex's pregnant," she said quietly.