Chapter 84 - Mensis (1/2)

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.