Daphne threw her hands in the air dramatically before storming away from Theo who looked equally amused and confused.

"What was that about mate?" Draco asked as he and Blaise approached.

Theo shrugged, "Fuck if I know. All I did was ask if she wanted to go to Honeydukes!" He motioned with a thumb to the building down the road.

Three heads turned hearing someone screech. They watched as Pansy pocketed her wand and stormed away from a fourth-year who was nursing their arm. When she disappeared in Gladsrag, the door to the Quidditch Supply Store opened to reveal a very pissed-off-looking Ginny Weasley, behind her was a bemused Potter.

"It's just a set of training robes, Gin."

"It's not the robes Harry! You hesitated when I asked how they looked!"

"It was the color!"

Ginny rolled her eyes before storming off.

"Looks like you're not the only one striking out today, Theo."

"Fuck off."

Seeing them, Harry approached rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't hesitate."

"You said you did," Draco snorted.

"Something about color," Blaise added.

"Oh bugger off you slimey snakes." The silver trio laughed at Harry's grumble. "Want to get a pint?"

Theo started walking to the pub before Harry could get the question out. "Well, I'm not going to Honeydukes."

Sharing an amused look Draco and Blaise followed the disgruntled pair. Blaise got the first round, levitating the drinks to the table when he had them all. The four had only just taken their first sips when Pansy and Daphne blew into the pub, Ginny and Astoria hot on their heels. All four witches just looked mad. The wizards watched as the witches found their own table and just started venting on by one. Watching them, it hit Theo like a bludger to the gut. He coughed on his beer as he cursed.

"Merlin Theo, what's gotten into you?" Blaise said with disgust, handing him napkins.

"We're fucked."

Harry and Draco frowned. "You going to elaborate mate?"

Wiping his mouth Theo dramatically waved a hand at the girls, "It's happening." When the others still didn't seem to get the picture he took a deep breath. "It," he pointed at the table of angry witches, "Is. Happening."

"You said that-" Blaise suddenly stopped talking, "Shit."

"Someone clue me in, please," Harry huffed dramatically.

"The girls fucking synced."

Harry's face blanched. "No."

"Fuck," Draco grumbled.

"I'll bet Hermione is the same," Theo mused aloud making Harry smack his head back on the booth behind him.

"Not Mione. She's the worst on her cycle."

"Excuse me?" Pure terror had all four wizards looking at the new voice that had approached them during their epiphany. "It's not polite to judge witches based on their cycle. It's quite painful you know. Messed with the mind and all your emotions." With that, calm and normally optimistic Luna, walked to the witch's table without a glance back in their direction.

"Shit," Blaise said again. Downing his pint he stood up, "Drake, chocolate. Theo, pain relievers. Potter, comfort snacks. The heads dorms in one hour, not a minute more!"

The three were standing alongside him but Harry spoke up, "What are you going to do?"

Dramatically Blaise sighed, "Get them all to the heads dorm in an hour and a half. Wish me luck gents." And he strode off towards the witches.

Draco, Theo and Harry watched him for a second before Theo muttered, "Rest in peace, the poor sod," and they dispersed.

"What in Merlin's name are you two arguing about?"

Hermione stood beside the small kitchen in her common room, hands on her hips, as Draco and Harry yelled at one another.

Caught up in his irritation Draco swept a hand towards Harry, "Blaise told me to get chocolates and told Potter to get comfort snacks. Pottter took that as 'get even more chocolate' and now we have too much chocolate!"

Unable to hide her chuckle, Hermione covered her mouth with her hand.

"This isn't funny, Granger!"

"I told you she was the worst," Harry mumbled.

Draco looked bewildered, "She's laughing! At us!"

"She gets unreasonable."

Hermione bent over with laughter, immediately knowing what was going on. "Unreasonable," she wheezed, "Harry." The door behind her opened and she could hear Theo grumbling.

"The apothecary only had so many vials so I had to go to Madam Pomfrey. So bloody awkward," there was the clanking of potions vials, "asking a matron for cramping potions for -"

Hermione went into another fit. With three wizards now gapping at her, she tried her best to compose herself, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Okay," she giggled, hand in front of her as she tried once more to reign in the laughter that threatened to start again seeing the two bags Theo was holding of potions. "Who exactly are you three, four assuming Blaise is involved, trying to help with that many potions, this absurd amount of sweets, and food? The entire populace of witches in this school?"

Huffing Theo put the bags on the counter and began sorting the vials in rows, presumably for different ailments. "There are so many because the matron at the apothecary insisted they were all necessary and I was not risking it with how Daphne was in Hogsmeade."

"And Ginny loves cauldron cakes when she's, you know-"

"Menstruating," Hermione supplied making the dark-haired wizard shudder, "you're a child."

"Yes, that. It's a different kind of chocolate so I don't know why Malfoy is having a fit. He's the one who bought all of Honeydukes!"

"Like you're any better," Malfoy accused with a pointed finger. "You know some witches prefer savory comfort foods right?"

Pinching the bridge of her nose while the two started arguing again she called for Darcey.

"Yes Mistress!"

That killed her laughter a bit, "Darcey, I've asked you not to call me that."

The elf put her hands on her tiny hips and simply started to tap her foot.

Exasperated now Hermione sighed, "The boys got supplies for the girls cycles but are missing some savory foods and treats, could you come up with some so Draco doesn't have an aneurism or hex Harry?"

"Of course!" The tiny elf clapped excitedly, "Such sweet wizard you all are. So sweets! I's know just the foods to be making. Mistress."

Hermione couldn't help the eye-roll at the curtsy Darcey threw at her before popping out of the room. Turning she looked at Harry, "What did you mean I'm the worst?"

The dark haired wizard moved a bit closer to Draco as if the silver haired wizard would help him. "Well you know, when you get your," he waved a hand in the direction of her pelvis, "you get all different."

"All different?" She smirked, thoroughly enjoying his discomfort.

"You get sassy. I think it's the pain, maybe, I don't know. But you get sassy and snappy, and very very sarcastic. You told Ron he had the emotional range of a teaspoon once during!"

Hermione laughed again, Theo chorusing behind her, still fixing the potions bottles. "He does!" Fixing a fallen curl she shook her head, her smile not waning, "But alas, I'm not on my period," Harry cringed, "You're a child," she laughed again. "It is cute that you lot did all this for the girls. Hopefully it's not all for Daphne?" She threw a concerned look at Theo.

"Gods no."

"Good, good." Moving into the living room she looked over the arrangement of treats on the table. "You really did buy nearly all of Honeydukes. Merlin, you four. Okay Harry, conjure some pillows. Malfoy put the sweets on some trays, it'll make them easier to access. Theo," she looked at him and smirked. He stood cockily next to his array of potions. "Good work."

He rewarded her with a wink. "Thank Merlin you're normal."

Looking disgruntled, Draco moved to fix the sweets as ordered while Harry conjured an array of pillows so nearly the whole floor was covered. Hermione took in the room as more pillows appeared, littering the floor. Raising her wand she dimmed the lights in the room, making it more warmer and more comfortable, then she added twinkling lights to give the room a soft glow. Summoning a small cauldron from her room she joined Draco in the kitchenette. A quick concoction and a sweet perfume clouded the room making the men turn to her with questioning looks.

Blushing, she shrugged as she stirred the cauldron, "It helps, believe it or not."

Pocketing her wand, she went into Draco's room next. He didn't say a word, though he paused for a moment in a state of minor shock. They'd been back at school for nearly four weeks, and she hadn't stepped foot in his rooms. He busied himself with an eye roll seeing Theo give him a glare while Harry was obsessing over the pillows around the coffee table.

Hermione came out with his record player. She placed it on the counter beside the potions Theo artfully displayed.

When the music began, Darcey had appeared, a table of foods with her. "Anythings else, Mistress?"

Sighing sadly, Hermione nodded, not wanting to look at the elf who made her heart ache every time she called her 'mistress'. "Comfortable lounge ware for everyone, please. Gin, Pans, Daphne, Luna, and likely Astoria. Extra's in case Blaise manages to wrangle any other suffering witches."

The small elf chuckled but snapped her fingers a few times, and an array of outfits appeared folded on the couch.

"Perfect. Would you also mind popping into Grimmuald and asking Kreacher for my hot bottle? He'll know where it is."

"Yes, Mistress, I's do it!" With a loud pop, the elf disappeared, leaving Hermione alone with two quizzical-looking wizards and Harry.

"Good call on the hot bottle," Harry nodded.

Rolling her eyes, Hermione chuckled.

"Okay, I'll bite, what's a hot bottle?"

Looking at Theo, Hermione smirked, "A rubber bottle that you fill with hot water and apply to the stomach to help with cramps." The confused look they were sporting deepened. "You'll see."

As if she'd been listening to the conversation, Darcey reappeared with the red bottle in her hands, looking at it strangely. "This Mistress? Kreacher be saying it was your bottle."

Hermione took it from the elf with a nod, "That's it." When Darcey didn't disapperate again, Hermione offered her hand to her, which the elf gladly took. Walking into the kitchenette, careful of Theo's potions, Hermione filled the bottle with water and then used her wand to heat it to the desired temperature. Securing the lid, she handed it back to Darcey and motioned to her tiny abdomen. "Try it."

Looking like she'd just been handed a bag of clothes. Darcey hesitantly put the rubber bottle to her abdomen, the bottle covering her entire torso, Darcey sighed, "Oh, that's lovely, Mistress!"

Grinning, Hermione began transfiguring extra cups from their cabinet into additional bottles, Darcey quickly taking them and filling them as she did. Hermione's own was red, so she made each new one a different color so the girls wouldn't mix them up. Darcey seemed to have attached hers to her front, making Hermione grin every time she looked at the small elf.

While the two were putting the water bottles on the cushions near the pajama sets Darcey first collected, the three wizards watched them, unable to do anymore now that Hermione and Darcey had fixed the room into a kind of comfortable oasis. The door to the room opened just as the elf and witch were putting the finishing touches on the array of savory treats Darcey brought in.

"Oh, this is..." Daphne sniffled, Theo moved immediately to her side, a relieved look on his face when she melted against him.

Reaching over, Darcey took Hermione's hand and gave it a small but tight squeeze before leaving them once more. Still smiling, Hermione looked up in time to see the strange look Astoria had aimed in the direction of where Darcey had been standing. Unsure what to think, Hermione just smiled and moved closer to the group of witches Blaise brought into the common room.

"The boys were freaking out and arranged this for all of you." Unnecessarily, she swept her hand towards the room and made to step towards her own room. "I'm going to be in the library if you need me."

"What?" Harry started.

"Mione, why?" The waiver in Ginny's voice had her pausing.

"The boys did this all for you guys," Hermione just repeated softly.

"We did it for you too, Granger," Theo frowned, "And you helped. Honestly, you made this room much better than we'd envisioned."

"I knew it looked too spectacular to be this lot," Pansy snorted as she inspected the potions.

Blaise, who was holding hands with Luna, moved further into the room, guiding Luna towards the pajamas, "This needed a woman's touch, truly Granger."

Collecting her bag, Hermione held her kind smile and grabbed her bag from the floor by the counter. "Only the best for the ladies," she winked at Theo. Casting a quick glance at Daphne, Astoria, Ginny, and Pansy, who were all still collected near the kitchenette, she chuckled, "They really thought it through."

Harry grabbed her elbow as she tried to move past him and Ginny. "Mione, why are you leaving?"

Sighing, she shrugged, "I don't need any of this." In truth, she wanted to stay. She wanted to lounge on the cushions with her friends, a hot bottle on her abdomen to help her relax despite not being on her cycle like the others. She wanted to put on the comfortable pajamas Darcey had collected and gorge on cakes with her friends. But another part of her couldn't. The guys did this for the girls as a kind gesture to help with their cycles, and apart from Pansy, they were all paired together, Pansy being more like their sister than anything else. Seeing them all when she'd finished with Darcey, she felt removed. At that moment, she decided to go back to the library and wait it out. "I need to revise my potions essay and get started on next month's patrol schedule."

Harry looked like he wanted to protest but didn't when Ginny shook her head. Theo didn't take the same queue from Daphne.

"Granger, don't be ridiculous."

"Theo-"

"No, Hermione," she started at the use of her first name. He'd only ever used her first name a handful of times, and most all of them were over Christmas at the Manor. "Stay, you helped, you should enjoy it too. Salazar knows we can't," he pointed to the other wizards in the room. "Well," he shrugged, "Not the water bottles and potions."

She smirked, "You should try the water bottle, it helps more than just cramps."

"Stay."

Beside him, Daphne nodded. Wiggling out from under his arm, Daphne came over to her, linking arms with her while Luna came up and took her bag off her shoulder. Luna disappeared into her room with her bag while Pansy came over with a pair of purple pajamas and Ginny threw a plaiting charm at her hair.

"She doesn't have a choice," Ginny stated while Pansy helped Daphne drag her into her room after Luna. "Be right back gents. You should find something to wear. We're doing facials."

"Blaise promised," Luna exclaimed from her room.

Alone again, Theo, Harry, and Draco glared at Blaise, who only shrugged and leaned against the counter. "What my witch wants, my witch gets."

"You've got to be kidding me."

Hermione lounged back, listening, with Pansy's head in her lap while Daphne painted her toenails a daring dark red that reminded Hermione briefly of blood. She was hoping it wasn't so dark when the lights were no longer dimmed, but she was picking her battles. To her right, Astoria was receiving similar treatment from Ginny, while Luna was doing as directed by Pansy. Currently, she was slathering avocado oil onto Theo's face.

"Oh, yes, Harry," Luna replied dreamily, "Theo here has great bone structure, but you can already see the crow's feet developing when he laughs."

Pansy snorted while Harry balked and Theo grumbled. "Don't worry, Potter, we have a hair mask for that mane you have."

"Oi, no one touches that hair but me," Ginny giggles. After blowing on Astoria's toes, she looked over, "And it really will help with the oils."

This time Draco and Blaise laughed, the drying clay Luna had put on their faces earlier crinkling around their mouths.

"You can use it your scrotum too," Luna continued absently, "Though nothing will quite help how wrinkled that will look." All the girls, but for Luna, dissolved into fits of giggles. "Every other night should do it. And use a powder in the mornings to avoid any chafe."

Pink now high in his cheeks, Theo could only nod while Harry looked fit to burst alongside Draco, all while Blaise nodded thoughtfully.

Everyone in the room froze when a heavy knock resounded from the portrait hole leading to the Slytherin dorms. It was followed quickly by a swirl of black robs that immediately came to a halt in the room, hand still on the portrait.

"Mister-"

Severus Snape had very rarely been rendered speechless. Closing his eye's he took a deep breath, letting it out on the count of five before reopening his eyes. "Mister Malfoy, I am in need of your timesheet from the Hogsmeade trip today."

Despite the pale green clay mask on his face, everyone could see the pinks of Draco's ears in the dim lighting. "I'll have it on your desk in the morn, Sir."

Professor Snape nodded and turned to leave but seemed to think better of it and turned back to the room's occupants.

"Do I need to ask?"

"The girls were feeling under the weather."

"You could say that," Theo grumbled, back under Luna's attention since Professor Snape had first spoken to Draco.

"The girls are on their..." All heads turned to Harry as he struggled to finish.

Luna did for him, not looking up as she continued to massage oil into Theo's forehead, "Cycles, sir. Do you have anything you recommend for clogged pores, Professor? Harry has blackheads the size of acromantula eggs."

Hermione could have sworn she heard the Professor laugh.

"No, Miss Lovegood, I don't. I wish you good luck in your search for such a product."

Luna smiled at the dark wizard, and he turned awkwardly to go, shaking his head as he did. Then she turned to Harry, finally letting go of Theo's face. Harry was holding his nose as if he was trying to see the blackheads she'd been referring to.

"It seems we'll need to handle it the old-fashioned way."

"Yes!" Pansy was off Hermione's lap in a heartbeat, "I call dibs!"

"Wait, what?" Harry reeled back as Pansy approached him, the wizards around him making room for her as if to keep her attention off themselves.

"She's going to pick at your face, Potter," Draco supplied dispassionately.

Daphne got up too, "Let me get the ones in his crease!"

"What is happening right now?" Harry reared back, his hands held out as if to stop the three witches from converging on him.

"Calm down, Potter," Theo advised, "It won't hurt that bad. And they'll give you a wash to use after your practices and before bed that will help."

Laughing, Hermione looked to Ginny, who looked like she'd been handed a new broom kit on a silver platter. "My life is about to be made," she giggled to Astoria who started laughing alongside Hermione. "Malfoy, Blaise, you can go wash your faces. The clay has been dry for a while."

"Pat to dry," Astoria called after them as they walked together, grumbling, towards the bathroom. "Luna, lovely, do you have that oil for them?"

Luna turned and collected the avocado oil she'd left in front of Theo and passed it to Astoria.

"Thank you!"

"I like that you call me lovely."

Luna's remark had several people pausing in the room. Even Pansy looked over her shoulder, momentarily giving Harry a break from her picking to look intently at Luna.

Astoria just smiled kindly at her, "I think it is very fitting. Lovely Luna."

Blaise came into the room, face freshly damp and wrapped an arm around Luna, "The loveliest."

"It's quite an improvement from Looney Lovegood," Luna smiles brightly. Her words making Blaise frown down at her.

"If anyone calls you that again, you tell me their names."

She looked up at him with concern, "What's wrong? Your wrackspurts are swarming."

Taking a deep breath Blaise smiled at her, "You do not deserve to be called Looney, love." Kissing her forehead he sat down, pulling her into his lap as he did. Just leaned her forehead on his and reached her hand outwards to Astoria, who smiled kindly and let drops of oil fall onto Luna's palm and fingers. When there was enough Luna said her thanks and began gently rubbing the oil onto Blaise's prepared face.

Draco walked in and saw Astoria watching Luna and Blaise with an adoring look. Glancing around the room, he noted others with glassy eyes.

"Who triggered the girls?"

Theo laughed, loud and boisterous, when all the girls but Luna and Pansy, who resumed working on Harry's nose, glared at him.

The following morning Harry, Theo, Draco and Blaise did their best to tiptoe out of the common area trying to find their wands. The girls had taken the pillows on the floor claiming it was "too comfortable to pass up". Not wanting to leave them Theo took his usual chair, Draco went to his room, his door left open, Blaise took over the couch and Harry took Draco's usual chair. Most of the wands had been scattered and forgotten during the evening.

"Woman," Theo sighed, looking down at the collection of witches bundled up together in a cacoon of blankets.

The girls had in fact stayed up far longer than they should have, talking about nearly every single topic the guys could imagine. The guys now knew entirely too much about the female menstrual cycle for their liking, although Blaise was the first to comment that it will definitely help them in the future should the girls remain synced.

Theo and Harry found their wands first and left to forage breakfast for everyone to bring back to the room before the girls woke. Draco was next, running off to Snape's office with the promised timesheet. Blaise, after finding his, just waited. His feet propped up on the coffee table, a coffee in hand when Hermione mewled. It startled him at first, his instinct making him look for a feline but then she moved, carefully as to not disturb Ginny and Daphne who were plastered to her sides, and he snorted. Looking up at him she blushed.

"What?" she whispered.

"You sounded like that old cat you used to have."

She smiled and continued to climbed over her friends.

"Where are the others?"

"Food and timesheet."

She nodded in understanding and flooped onto the couch beside him. He nudged her and she let her head fall to his shoulder.

"Can I ask you something personal, Granger?"

They were still whispering so she just nodded instead of responding.

"Why is it you didn't sync with the others? I thought it was supposed to happen to all the women who are in a close-knit group."

"It can," she started quietly, "But I haven't had a cycle since our first month on the run last year."

She felt rather than saw his attempt to look at her. "Is that normal?"

"In high-stress situations, it can be."

He contemplated her words for a few minutes, the pair of them just sitting in silence before he spoke again. "Why hasn't it come back yet?"

She just shrugged.

"I see."

"Healers gave me potions to force one every four months. It hurts though, far worse than natural cycles."

"Why do they do that?"

Lifting her head off his shoulder, she smirked, "Do you really want to know?" He nodded. "My uterus still develops a new lining every month, it just builds up and never gets flushed out. Too much and it can become necrotic and make me sick. Forcing a cycle keeps that from happening."

The dark wizard looked pale, "That sounds horrific."

She shrugged again and laid her head back on his shoulder. "It's not so bad."

"At least you don't have to worry about pregnancy." She stiffened beside him. "Sorry," he mumbled, "My filter isn't as good in the morning."

"It's alright. You only grossed out yourself."

"I did," he laughed.

"What are we laughing about?" Theo asked loudly as he banged the door open, Harry shuffling in after him. Both of them carried more food than probably necessary.

Angry shushes came from the ground sending Hermione and Blaise into more quiet laughter.