The inevitables

Mary got it first. If I was going to guess who if get it first, Mary would be my only guess.  For starters, she wears a bra. Like a real one. Not those lame training bras that are basically a tank top cut to where your boobs are. She wears a real, wire sewn in bra. So of course she would get it first.

We all knew what it was and what to do when it happens. Over the summer my mum explained everything to me. I think it’s incredibly unfair girls have to do this for over half of their lifetime but all boys get is being dumb and silly for three years. Totally unfair.

*BANG* *BANG*

“Mary! You’ve been in the loo for an hour! I’m about to go piss on your bed if you don’t come out!!” Marlene yelled, there was no way I could pretend to sleep now. I looked at the clock by my bed. 9:07 am, at least it wasn’t too early, and it was the weekend, so I didn’t need to be well rested.

“Go pee somewhere else!” Mary yelled back, but this wasn’t her normal fire. Her voice wavered like a bumblebee in a storm. Her octaves flew up and down, side to side. Nothing like a normal Mary would behave like.

“Mary are you alright?” I scuffled out of bed and made my way to the bathroom door, Lily did as well. Marlene stopped banging and stood normally, perhaps she’s forgotten she needed to go.

Mary sniffled and cleared her throat. “Do any of you… know where any um… products are?” Mary’s voice was far from the door. Products? I didn’t know what she meant at first. Mary had an assortment of fifty hair products because every morning she insisted she do my hair along with hers. Apparently I don’t know how to properly care for my curls. I know how to, I would just rather not spend a million minutes on my hair in the morning. She also has makeup products which she says are for all of us, but she’s the only one who’s ever used them.

“Oh.” Lily stepped back. “Oh you mean those products…”

And that’s when it dawned on me. Mary wasn’t talking about anything dealing with beauty products. Mary had become a women. She was lucky it was a Saturday.

“I don’t get it.” Marlene looked from me to Lily, Lily looked away embarrassed. I don’t know why this was such a sore subject, but even thinking about explaining it out loud grossed me out. Probably because I wasn’t a women yet, or maybe the whole idea just weirded me out.

I tilted my head and opens my eyes hoping that Marlene would get the idea but she just looked even more confused. I need a new method.

“She needs… she’s become..” I tried to get the words out, I really did. But it was a description I thought I would have more time to prepare for.

“Shut up! Any ideas where they are!?” Mary interrupted, thank the lord.

I had no clue where those were, why would I know? I didn’t need those, I didn’t need to know where they were. I could tell Lily had no clue either.

“Alice and the seventh years should know, we could ask them.” I suggested.

“No! No.. that’s too embarrassing.”

“We could ask the house elves, they clean our dormitories so they must know.” Lily proposed.

“They would bombard us with offerings and too many products.” Mary shot down. I understood her cautiousness. The house elves would definitely give us way too much then announce it to everyone and that could be embarrassing. Also, Alice and the seventh years may laugh at us and them knowing is too much.

“Oh. Ohhhhh… I get it now!” Marlene nodded. “Holy blood that’s gross.”

“Marlene!” Lily yelled.

“She has blood coming out of her-“

“Marlene!” Now I yelled. “Look Mary I could owl my mum and see where they are, that would be less embarrassing.”

“… not to be rude but your mum came here sixty years ago, they could’ve changed it.” Mary sighed and slumped against the closed bathroom door.

“Room of requirement, we would wish for some.” Marlene suggested, which wasn’t a bad idea in my opinion.

“We’d have to walk across the entire castle then walk back trying to hide them. Who knows who would spot us.” Lily reasoned, she was absolutely right. I could image seeing the boys or a teacher asking us what we were doing. Then of course Violetta would ask what we were doing and it would be a whole thing. There had to be a way to hide us from everyone. Oh..

“We could take the invisibility cloak to hide us.” I said.

“And what would you tell James when you went to grab it?” Marlene asked.

“No! No! Sirius- the boys can not know!” Mary screamed and started crying again.

“That really only leaves us one option…” Lily said.

“Who?” I asked.

“Professor McGonagal”

“What?!” Marlene and I almost choked on nothing.

“This wouldn’t be the first time she’s talked about this, I mean she probably expecting us. Besides, she’s our head of house, she’s supposed to be there for us during these times.” Lily made complete sense, I hated when she did that.

“Or… or.. we wait for the house elves to come clean the room and ask them. Mary how long can you comfortably bleed all over the bathroom floor?”

“Marls! Come off it!” Mary yelled and she sniffled.

“We’ll go see McGonagal, wait here Mary.” I decided and started to get dress. Mary being in the restroom meant I could brush my teeth or hair so I just tied my hair back and ate a mint. Marlene and Lily did the same.

*******

I had always thought McGonagal’s office was too close to the tower. As if she would ever need to run over. I also wondered where her bedroom was. Was it in her office? Near her office? Someplace entirely different? I had no idea. It was probably a good thing the boys didn’t know.

Lily knocked on the door. We decided Marlene would not do any of the talking, but that meant that I had to. The professor opened the door and seemed surprised to see us at this hour on a Saturday morning.

“Miss Potter, Miss Evans, Miss McKinnon. What do I owe to this visit?”

“We were hoping you could tell us where the.. where the uh…” Lily started out famously before she trailed off. She was direct and ready until she got to that part. She wasn’t going to say it, she wasn’t ready.

“Feminine products, we’re looking for those things.” I, sort of, ripped off the bandage. My hear began to race and I could feel it pounding throughout my whole body. I didn’t even need them! Why was I so stressed!? McGonagal’s eyebrows raised for a second then relaxed. It’s like her whole face was tense for a mere moment then she softened. My face started to blush, I wanted to run away and become a boy, they were the lucky ones.

“Come in.” McGonagal walked back to sit behind her desk and we followed. Her office was a lot like the common room. It was both brick and wooden with a red tint. The chairs had red cushions on them and there were bookshelf’s and trinkets on the walls. Despite the professor, her office had nothing intimidating or freighting about it. It was nice.

“I assume you come for Miss Macdonald.”

“Yes ma’am.” We said in absolute harmony.

“And should hope you all have been told about the events happening.”

“Yes ma’am.” We unison-ed once more.

“Good. Have a biscuit.” The professor put out a platter with five biscuits on it. They seemed to be recently baked and practically to die for. I took one instantly, so did Marlene. “Miss Macdonald, and soon you three, will begin a wonderful journey in your life. A journey that is not scary, and can be helped by the products in the bottom cabinet under each sink. The house elves restock once a month.” She said kindly. When McGonagal spoke, she didn’t seem embarrassed or grossed out. Actually, she seemed to be great full that we went to her. There are moments I wondered why McGonagal wanted to be head of house, but I understand now. She was very warm and loving when she wanted to be.

“Professor?” Lily asked before grabbing a scone.

“Yes Miss Evans?”

“Is there a phone in the castle? I think Mary would want to call her mum.” Lily said. I slightly knew what she was talking about, it’s how muggles commune since they don’t use owls.

“There is no phone at all throughout the castle. As you all know, magic and technology do not mix well.”

“Oh.” Lily looked down disappointed. I wondered if she thought about ‘phoning’ home other times. Or if she wanted to ‘phone’ home when she got her… thing.

“However, there is phone in the village of Hogsmeade. We can go if she is up for it.” McGonagal almost smiled to herself. I liked this side of McGonagal.

*****

Mary appreciated where the products were stored and later after dinner, Professor McGonagal took her to Hogsmeade.  It was up to us to clean the bathroom. After a good half hour of scrubbing, I went down to the common room to get more supplies.

“Hazel!” Sirius came running when he saw me. After today I honestly forgot about the boys.

“What’s up Sirius?”

“We need to talk about Remus’s… time of the month.” He whispered. I lost it. I couldn’t help but laughing in his face. And I mean, full on cackling. Remus’s time of the month? He was a werewolf not a girl! He changed into a wolf! Mary was the one bleeding through her trousers this morning! I would never compare the two, but come on! Time of the month is reserved for girls and girls only! I laughed and laughed and watched Sirius shrink a little, unsure of what to do.  He would never un stand how funny this was, and I would never tell him.