Chapter 84 - Mensis

As exams drew closer the 5th and 7th years went into overdrive and were known to explode at the drop of the hat. As a result, the Slytherin common room was almost desolate except for a few brave souls who choose to share with the aggressive 5th and 7th years. Naturally, the exception was Alchemy as he was seen as a therapy for most of them in time of great stress. As a result, Alchemy was constantly being kidnapped, and despite Terry's valiant attempts to save him, even he knew better than to get in between his cat and highly stressed Slytherin 5th and 7th years.

With exams that much closer Rowan found less and less time to research, which wasn't all that bad as she was almost done. Confident that she'd finish before the school term ended, she did her best to each day work only a little bit on her research and the rest of the time solely concentrating on her exams.

Even the Marauder's had temporarily put aside their own research and had begun to study in earnest. Though personally, Rowan wasn't sure exactly how well that would go given that they had to review a year's worth of notes in a very short time frame. Lupin would probably be okay as he was actually quite studious and as for James and Sirius, as long as they put some effort, they should be fine. And as for Pettigrew, it would be Hail Mary to be perfectly honest. But hey, wizards were known to make miracles happen.

It was a warm day outside as light streamed inside the windows down the hallways. Even the library was a tad warm at his point in time. Terry was biting on the end of his quill and muttering, the dates of the goblin rebellions. "Gross," Rowan mumbled as she reviewed the complicated ingredients and steps for potions class. The memorization part wasn't difficult, but rather the actual brewing. As long as she pretended or ignored the living specimens, she should be fine, probably.

Under his breath, Severus mouths charms and spells lest they be cast. "Can we have a break?" Terry finally groaned as he held his head.

Glancing up to make sure Madam Pince wasn't around, Rowan softly says, "As soon as we finish memorizing the dates of magical discoveries."

Terry groans and buries his face in his hands. "We're never going to leave, are we?"

"Quiet, I'm trying to memorize the charms and spell!" Severus huffed. With a miserable cry of despair, Terry returned to studying, however, his eyes seemed to be swirling around. And it would only be the start as exams drew closer and closer until they were only a week away.

More than one fifth and seventh year had to be taken to the infirmary from exhaustion, while the rest were snapping at each other's throats. In fact, Professor Slughorn and Lucius Malfoy were forced to sit in the common room in the evenings lest the incident of a few weeks ago repeat itself, where two 7th years went for each other's throats after one of them spilled ink all over their notes. Needless to say, the Slytherin common room area felt more like a battlefield with all the pent-up aggression rather than a place to relax.

For appearance's sake, Slytherin's appeared to be cool and ruthless, but that didn't mean they weren't just as studious as the Ravenclaws. Maybe they weren't always that studious, but during their 5th and 7th years they most certainly were. After all, most of them were purebloods in some manner and had an image to uphold. Even if they didn't go into positions of power or become great and powerful witches and wizards, their families would certainly care about their studies for appearance sake.

On the day of the first exam, Rowan awoke to feel a bit damp and a familiar aching in the pit of her stomach. Letting out a groan, the other girls jump awake as Tiffany half-asleep shouts, "Mandrakes don't eat butter!"

They all ignore Tiffany as Bethanie worriedly comes over and says, "What's wrong?"

Rowan's ears turn red as she hastily says, "I'm fine! It's nothing really!"

"Eh?" Silvia said with a wicked grin and pulled the sheets.

Rowan's ears turn even more red as Bethanie and Silvia spot the red-stained sheets. "Oh, no! And on the first day of exams too!" Bethanie lamented. "Not to worry hon, ours all started during the first term, it looks like you're the last one of us to gain her blood moon."

"Congratulations, you're a woman now," Silvia drily said as Tiffany sleepily blinked and clapped her hands in a congratulatory fashion.

"Now hurry up and change, Rowan," Bethanie said as she grabbed her wand from her bedside desk.

Pointing her wand at the bed, Bethanie says, "Tegero!" The red stains disappear from the bed and off of Rowan's closes as she tightly keeps her legs shut as she creeps out of bed.

"There now," Bethanie said in satisfaction. "Do you know what to do, hon?"

"I know," Rowan replied in embarrassment as she grabbed a change of clothes and a pad, before rushing into the girl's bathroom.

"What's going on?" Tiffany sleepily asked as she rubbed her eyes open.

"Rowan's a woman, now," Silvia drily said.

"Does anyone still have any pain draught's still left?" Bethanie asked.

"Nope," Silvia said with a shrug. "Tiffany and I had ours two weeks ago, while yours was just last week."

"Mm," Bethanie muttered as she bit her lips. "It's just that we have exams bright early this morning and it might take Madam Pomfrey some time to brew a potion for the pain. Do you think anyone else would have one on hand?"

"Maybe," Silvia said. "But would they willingly give theirs up? Besides, we don't want to go around announcing it either."

"Well, I suppose we will have to make do with chamomile or peppermint tea served at breakfast," Bethanie mused. "But it would be best if we actually had moon tea for her cramps."

"Ug, the first time's the worst," Silvia recalled. "Trying to get used to it and then figuring what works best, ick."

All three girls solemnly nod their head in agreement as Tiffany squeaks, "I hope it's not some kind of omen."

The three girls shiver as Bethanie quickly says, "Well, no matter, we best get ready ourselves." The three of them hurry off to change as Rowan emerges with a pale face and bright red ears.

"That was so embarrassing," Rowan thought to herself. But at the same time, it was a relief to find her roommates to be so caring. Looking at the time, she gently rubs her belly and tries to not hunch over from the pain.

"What I wouldn't do for some painkillers right now," Rowan thought to herself, before another thought occurred to her. "Do painkillers even work on witches and wizards?" Either way, she'd make a personal note to find out come summer.