Disclaimer: Not mine
Chapter Two: Relapse
All three remained silent as the night's events washed over them. Suddenly, a thought occurred to Minerva.
"Poppy, Lily has a muggle sister. Was she harmed?"
"No one mentioned a sister." Poppy answered. "Um, can you come to the hospital wing, Minerva? Evans- Lily is very upset and won't let me examine her.
Minerva's expression was unreadable. Poppy felt a need to continue.
"I wouldn't normally ask, but she is in your house and has no one else. I know she is one of your favorite students, so it might help her if you were there."
Minerva nodded. "Of course, Poppy."
Albus tried desperately to catch his wife's eye as she transfigured her dressing gown into robes, but she steadfastly avoided him. He was very concerned for her. She had recovered well from her ordeal with Grindelwald, and the two had eventually returned to a normal married life. Minerva had not forgotten about it, but she had moved on.
He knew that Minerva did not remember her first exam after being raped. She was still unconscious when Poppy was forced to perform it due to hemorrhaging. As her husband, Albus had been permitted to give consent for Poppy to proceed with it. He hated doing it. He could only imagine what it did to Minerva when she awoke to know that right after she was raped something else had been done to her body without her knowledge. She had been conscious for the second exam, and it had been very trying on her. Merlin, he hoped she could get through this. Albus needed her to be all right; Lily needed her to be all right.
As Minerva was walking out the door, Poppy turned to Albus.
"I know you will want to speak with Ev- Lily. Give us an hour first. I am using the back room, so just enter the regular wing; I'll get you when I am finished."
"All right, Poppy." he answered.
"Who is with her now?" Minerva asked. Surely the mediwitch would not have left the young girl alone.
"Hestia." answered Poppy. "She's one of the members that responded to the attack."
They entered the hospital wing and proceeded toward the back room. This was reserved for special cases, such as illness on the staff, or cases that would require more privacy.
Lily was sobbing on a bed. Hestia was trying to comfort her, but was looking a little lost. Minerva steeled herself and approached her student.
"Lily?" she said, so quietly it was almost a whisper.
Lily raised her eyes and quickly lowered them again.
"It's all right." Minerva whispered. "It will be all right."
She reached her hand out and patted Lily's arm once. Lily spasmed, but quickly recovered. She reached toward her professor's hand just as Minerva was going to remove it. That was as far as Lily could go; she could not raise her head and meet Minerva's gaze.
"You have nothing to be ashamed of." Minerva said, still just as softly. "This is not your fault."
Hestia made a quiet exit, while Minerva and Poppy simply let Lily cry. After a while, the mediwitch nudged her friend. Minerva met her gaze and knew what she was going to have to do.
"Lily, Madam Pomfrey needs to make sure you are not injured."
The teen started shaking her head furiously, and Minerva's heart sunk. She didn't know how to convince her student that this would be okay. Madam Pomfrey handed a potion to Minerva and indicated that she should give it to Lily. Minerva handed it to her, but she was apprehensive about taking it.
"It is just a calming potion." Poppy assured.
While Lily was drinking it, Poppy thrust another vial into her friend's hands. Minerva glanced at it, and saw it was the same as Lily had just consumed. Surely Poppy didn't think another one was required; that would be an almost dangerous dosage.
"It's for you." Poppy whispered. "You're shaking."
Indeed, she was. It hadn't been noticeable at first. She might not have noticed at all if it hadn't been pointed out. She briefly argued with herself, then downed it in one gulp.
Walking back over to her student, Minerva began to speak quietly.
"Lily, Madam Pomfrey must make sure you are all right. If you are injured you need to be treated. I know this is hard, but you are going to have to let her examine you."
"Will you stay with me?" Lily whispered.
"Yes, I will."
Lily laid back and grabbed her head of house's hand again. Then she closed her eyes so tightly she was squinting. The young girl didn't dare open them until Madam Pomfrey said she was finished.
"You need to take this." The mediwitch said, handing Lily a vial of blood replenishing potion.
"Why?" Lily asked.
"Were you a virgin, Lily?"
The girl nodded.
"Your attacker was far too rough with you. The injuries are nothing that won't heal themselves, but I don't want to take any chances." Poppy answered.
Lily drank it and was handed a second vial that Minerva recognized.
"That one is to prevent a pregnancy." Minerva said, answering the questioning look on her student's face.
"I'm going to get Albus." Poppy whispered to Minerva.
As planned, the headmaster was waiting in the main wing when Poppy beckoned him to join them. He, like his wife, had changed back into his robes.
"How is she?" he whispered.
"She is understandable quite upset, assuming you are talking about Lily. If you are talking about Minerva, she is also quite upset.
They entered the back room and Albus moved to a chair next to his wife.
"I'm so sorry, Miss. Evans." he said.
Lily didn't say anything. There really wasn't anything to be said.
"Was your sister at home this evening?"
Lily shook her head.
"Can you tell us where she is?" Albus asked gently.
"Petunia is living in a dorm at the university she attends." Lily whispered.
"Can you tell us what happened tonight?"
"Headmaster, please don't." she begged.
Minerva glanced at Albus to see what he would do. He was looking to Poppy. The mediwitch knew he needed a bare amount of information to have a chance in catching the dark wizards who had attacked the Evans family. Lily couldn't be pushed too hard, though. She motioned for him to continue with the full intention of stopping him should Lily become too distressed.
"Did you see anyone?" Albus asked.
"N- No. I couldn't.
"Why not?" he prodded carefully.
"They were all wearing masks, except one. I didn't see him that well, because it was dark. I could've sworn his eyes were red, though."
Albus, Minerva, and Poppy exchanged significant looks. That had definitely been Voldemort and his Death Eaters.
"I think that is enough for this evening. Do try to rest now, Miss. Evans. If you need anything let Madam Pomfrey know.
The mediwitch hurried over to Lily and handed her another potion. "Dreamless Sleep." Poppy said.
Once it was drunk, Lily fell asleep instantly.
The three adults entered Poppy's office and sat with cups of hot chocolate appearing before them.
"What do you intend to do?" Poppy asked Albus.
Albus was regarding Minerva carefully. "Hogwarts' policy dictates that when a student is attacked, it is their head of house who is suppose to counsel them. If the head of house is incapable, or if the victim is female and her head male, an alternative must be found. This could be another faculty member, or an outside counselor."
Poppy turned to look at Minerva as well.
"I'll do it." she said.
"Minerva, are you sure?" Albus asked.
"I'm her head. She and I have always gotten along well-"
"Meaning she's always been one of your favorites." Poppy interrupted.
Minerva shot her friend a mock glare but did not deny the fact. It was true after all.
"In all seriousness, how do you think you will handle this?" Poppy asked.
"I'm sure it will be difficult, but I will cope." Minerva assured.
Poppy turned back to Albus. "How do you think she will do?"
"Minerva is quite capable at whatever she decides to do. If she says she can handle this, I trust that she can." he answered.
"I should warn you now that her response will be different from yours." Poppy said. "She will be dealing with not only her rape, but the murder of her parents, too. Your situations are also vastly different. The main dissimilarity that can be worrisome is the status of your sex lives before the rape. You had already been with a man. That made it easier for you to understand the difference between rape and making love.
"Lily does not have that, as she was a virgin. It is very easy for young girls who are raped to end up in abusive relationships; they don't have the sensibilites to know that what they have experienced is not the way relationships are supposed to be. Another problem that comes along with this is that they may become promiscuous. The clinical reasoning for this is that the girl did not have an option as to who she first slept with, so there is no reason to be selective with lovers now. That is, of course, the shortened view. If you like, I can go through the entire theory."
"I think we get the general idea." Minerva said, silently marvelling at all the things Poppy had learned about emotional problems in the years that had followed her rape.
Poppy continued, "There is also the danger of alcohol and, in rare wizarding cases, drug use. I mention drugs because she is muggle-born, so she would have the knowledge of these things. I know Lily is smart and doesn't seem like the type of person who would succumb to these things, but you of all people now what she is facing now. It can push people to take severe measures."
"Remember, she is still a teenager; her magic has not matured to a point where it is completely stable yet. That will come this year, but it means she will be dealing with hormonal changes as it does. Typically, that falls under the category of normal teen angst, but when trauma has recently been suffered it can be dreadful."
Poppy stopped and yawned. It had been a long day, and it already looked as if it was going to be a long school year.
"As it is late," Albus said, "I think it would be best to continue this later. If there is anything else Minerva or myself needs to know, you will know where to find us."
Minerva and Albus walked back to their quarters in silence. Once there, they immediately prepared for bed. Minerva absentmindedly undressed but was shocked when she felt apprehension about sleeping naked next to her husband. It was a feeling she had not experienced in decades, but one she still knew far too well.
A/N: Sorry the update took so long. I had no idea that this story would be harder to write than it's predecessor. I thought since I had experience writing about this issue, it would be easier but I think Lily being young is making it more difficult. Anyway, thanks so much for all the reviews. I am happy you all want to read another story. It was suggested that I write another one after this; I am making no commitments yet, but if the opportunity comes along I will consider it. So, please review:)