A/N: Beta thanks to Sarah.


“HA! I won again, my dear amigo! It’s official. You’re a sore loser when it comes to playing chess,” exclaimed a red haired boy to his bespectacled friend. A smug grin spread across his freckled face. This earned a soft ‘tut’ from the female across the room who had her head hidden behind a thick bound book.

Ron made a face in her direction even though he knew that she could not see him. And instead of coming up with a retort, he scolded the two first year boys who were merrily sliding themselves down the girls’ staircase.

”Oy! Don’t you two midgets have anything better to do? Shut the hell up! It’s bloody irritating!”

Harry snickered softly as the two boys grumbled and made their way out of the portrait hole. With a heavy sigh, he too got up and went up into the boy’s dormitory, leaving Ron to clean up the broken chess pieces. He came back down moments later with a broom and its kit in hand, and saw his friend already seated on the floor, in front of the armchair where Hermione was seated.

”Ron, stop rummaging through my bag!” came the feminine voice from behind the book.

”Seriously, Hermione. Don’t you have any other stuff in your bag other than books?” he asked, clearly ignoring her request.

”Book… book… piece of parchment… book… quill… book…” Ron muttered as he took each item out of the felt-brown bag.

Harry smiled at his friend’s tactics as he began polishing his Firebolt.

”Ron, kindly place those items back into my bag… please,” said Hermione. The book she had been reading was now resting on her lap, revealing her stern face.

”Hey! What’s this? Is it a gift?” Ron asked, curiosity evident in his voice.

There was a loud gasp, which made Harry looked up from his broom.

”RON! Give me that!” Hermione yelped.

”NO! Who’s it for?”

”It’s for no one! Give me that!”

Harry watched as his two best friends jumped, their bodies close to each other with their hands up in the air. One grinning with the prize held high above his head and the other trying to reach it. They looked so flushed that Harry couldn’t help laughing out loud, though he noticed that Hermione looked more so than his freckled friend. Shaking his head and still grinning, he went back to polishing his broom.

Finally, Ron found a way to restrain the girl with his long leg while his hands worked on the ‘gift’. “It’s so soft. What is it?” He tried shaking the object.

“RON!”

A sound was heard as Ron tore the ‘gift’ apart.

”ROOOOONNNN…..” Hermione gave a loud moan.

”What is this thing?”

Harry finally looked up to see the ‘gift’, curious himself about what ’gift’ Hermione might be hiding. His eyes widened as he recognized it. He had seen it so many times on the Dursley’s television set. It was none other than a girl’s sanitary pad.

Ron was holding each end of the pad with each hand, turning it about, scrutinizing the object. “Why is it so sticky on this part?”

Another moan was heard. Harry turned to see Hermione covering her face with both her hands, though that didn’t help hide her embarrassment. The poor girl was scarlet to the root!

”What do you reckon this thing is, mate?” asked Ron, totally neglecting Hermione’s discomfort.

”Umm…” Harry was unsure of what to say.

But before he could even come up with anything, the portrait hole opened and in came Ginny Weasley.

”Hey guys!” she greeted them cheerfully.

Sitting on the armchair Hermione had left just moments earlier, she looked up at her brother. “What’s that?”

Both Hermione and Harry turned to look at her with utmost incredulity.

“You don’t know what that is?” Hermione asked faintly.

Ginny, not seeing what the big deal about the whole thing is, shrugged and shook her head. “Yeah, what is it?” Ron repeated his question.

“I’ll take that back, thank you!” Hermione snatched the pad from Ron’s hands. “Your dirty hands will take the stickiness away, anyway.”

At this, Harry could not help snickering. “Shut up, Harry,” Hermione muttered. Her blush that had faded slightly came rushing back for the second time.

”You do know what it is, right Harry?” Ron asked.

”WILL YOU JUST FORGET ABOUT THIS PAD?” Hermione suddenly screeched.

”Pad? What’s it used for?” Ginny asked, just as curious as her brother.

”FINE! It’s a muggle item used by girls when they menstruate! …HAPPY!”

The room suddenly became still. Not even a pin drop could be heard.

”Oh,” came Ginny’s quiet voice after a moment of silence, followed by a purr from Crookshanks, as he went back into his deep slumber.

The funniest thing about the situation was that Ron was even more embarrassed than his sister. He blushed so hard that his freckles seemed to vanish.

Hermione, who seemed to have lost all embarrassment, turned to Ginny and asked, “What do you use to prevent yourself from leaking then?”

Harry’s and Ron’s eyes bulged at this straight-forward question.

Ginny blushed and stuttered. “We-we have charms for that.”

”Uh! I think I’m going to head up,” Harry interrupted. “C’mon, Ron,” dragging his open-mouthed friend along the staircase.

Once they reached their room, Ron sighed and said, “Honestly, mate. I’d thought that thing was some sort of a bandage or something…”