A Perfect Situation

Neville Longbottom moved along the records hall with determination. He had received Severus’s owl, saying that he and Hermione were in Ireland and doing well. The potion he gave her helped and he had no doubt that she would recover with the support of her husband. Now he could focus on Cathy.



While he shouldn’t care about her history, he knew that she would not cease to make trouble for her ex and his wife. Hermione and Severus would eventually be returning from their trip and Neville planned to be able to give Severus something to work with if she decided to keep up with her actions.



He found the file he was looking for and seeing the thickness, sat down at a nearby table. The file went back to her teens. She was seen at St. Mungo’s for a severe form of nausea during the school holidays. It turned out being a massive hangover from what appeared to be a binge. The level of alcohol in her blood was high enough to warrant the hospital replacing her fluids manually through concentrated potions.



It was during a routine exam that they realized she’d had intercourse recently and while it appeared to be consensual with no signs of rape, it was by no means gentle and she had to be treated. When she was feeling better she was unable to remember the majority of the night. The staff had made notes about her parents reactions. Her father yelled and ridiculed her on front of the nurses and healer, and her mother said nothing, merely leaving the room to wait until her husband was ready to leave. She was released two days later to her grandmother.



The file continued on with regular gynecological visits normal of any female who was sexually active. Throughout her later years at Hogwarts she was seen in a pattern every six months until her final year when she was admitted late at night on a Saturday. She was beaten and raped, both vaginally and anally. She was unconscious when she came rolling out of the floo and immediately taken for treatment.



She awoke eventually but refused to tell aurors who had assaulted her. Female aurors were called in to speak to her and while it was obvious that they made her feel more comfortable, she still refused to name her attacker. She was kept in St. Mungo’s for a week, and during that time she was seen by mental healer Daniel Radcliffe, then released to Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore.



The files carried on with what seemed normal visits. She had been treated for minor illness from her travels, and given birth control potions, basic checkups, but nothing out of the ordinary. He closed the file, and leaned back in his chair. The words he had hurled at her recently came back to haunt him. This was a classic case of a woman who had not settled the demons of her youth. She had gone through a traumatic event that left her scarred to this very day and he had probably added to it.



Neville made up his mind to help her. He didn’t know why, maybe it was his healer’s instincts to treat those that needed it, maybe it was just compassion for the young girl who had been assaulted, but then again maybe it was guilt for speaking to her the way he did without knowing about her. It didn’t matter anymore, he had to help her. The key points were her sexual encounters in her youth. The first time, and the attack. There had to be a clue as to why she targeted Severus.



He had to see the mental healer and possibly Dumbledore. He didn’t know how much information he could get but he had to try. Replacing the file he made his way out of the records hall and toward a different section of the hospital.









“Healer Longbottom, how are you?” Neville stood and shook the hand of the rotund, grey haired man with the friendly smile.



“Healer Radcliffe, I’m well, thank you. Do you have a few moments?” He asked.



“Of course.” He walked the healer into his office and both men sat. “I take it from that look that this isn’t social.”



“I’m afraid that’s correct. You saw a woman several years ago named Cathy Haversham. It as a sexual assault case.”



“You know I can’t discuss cases with you.” His confusion wasn’t condescending, and he knew the old healer was just looking for reasons as to the questions.



“I’ve run into her recently and her behavior had been somewhat telling. She gives out clues that suggest therapy and when I looked into her file it was confirmed.”



“You think she may need more treatment?” He leaned forward as much as he could, the healer in him taking control, as it did with Neville at times.



“I don’t know yet, that’s why I’ve come to you. I was hoping for more information.”



“If you can promise this will be used for pure healing purposes only, and nothing more.” He asked.



“Absolutely.” He knew the man was trustworthy and cared about his patients. If he had to tell Severus anything, it will only be as a last resort, and he would exclude what he could.



“Miss Haversham was in her final year at Hogwarts when I saw here. I was told there was an assault but she was refusing to speak. I saw from the exam charts that she had been raped by what was confirmed as at least two different men. There could have been more.” He spoke with clarity, remembering his cases as any young man would. “She was crying a lot according to the staff, and was reluctant to allow anyone to touch her.”



“Did you have any luck getting her to open up?” Neville asked, trying to imagine Cathy as a scared young girl.



“To a certain extent. She knew I was a mental healer and the fact that I wouldn’t be going to her parents or grandparent was something that made her feel safe. I knew her parents were hard on her from the previous visit noted in the chart.” At Neville’s nod he continued, remembering that the younger healer said he had seen her file. “She did say that she had gotten into a situation that unfortunately she couldn’t get out of. She also seemed to believe that she deserved such treatment.”



Neville sat up, a sick feeling in his gut. “Really? Guilt?”



“Oh yes. Apparently she had two close friends who she was very comfortable with and at that age, its usual to get into conversations about sex. It would appear they felt she was offering something when she expressed curiosity. She couldn’t fight them off and when she spoke to me, she felt she may have offered without realizing it.” The expression on his face let Ron know that this was a common occurrence, sad as it was.



“Did she say who the men were?” He asked, thinking back to his own years at the school, and still couldn’t imagine his worst nemesis going as far as rape.



“No. She only said that she trusted them, that they were friends, and she thought she was safe.” He took off his glasses and rested them on his desk. “I asked to see her the following week, but she refused anymore appointments.”



Neville digested what he had heard, letting his thoughts process. “If a rape victim, particularly one who feels she merited her own attack, doesn’t continue on with treatment, what kind of behavior will manifest into adulthood?”



“A few different things can occur. She may learn to deal with it as she matures, growing up to know she was innocent and blameless. She may become self destructive, even attempting suicide. She may even continue to believe she deserves to be treated that way, seeing out relationships with destructing men. She may even be destructive in relationships not sexual, friends, family, co workers and such, projecting her feelings to others.”



The last bit caught Neville’s attentions. “Would she assume the worst of others around her?” He was thinking of how Severus claimed she always fought with him and accused him of lying.



“She just might.” He clarified. “It would certainly be characteristic of traumatic guilt.”



“Thank you, you don’t know how helpful you have been.” Neville stood and extended a hand.



“If she does need treatment, tell her the offer from years ago stands. I am here to listen to her.” He said, and Neville’s respect for the man increased tenfold.



“I will remember sir.” He left the office and made his way to Hogwart’s. He needed to speak to Dumbledore.







As he thought the aging headmaster was all too glad to see him. He was ushered into the office without delay. “Headmaster, I’m here to ask about a previous student, who would have attended her many years ago.”



“Which student would that be?” He asked, toying with an hourglass on his desk.



“Cathy Haversham.” He watched the recognition show in the old eyes that were looking at him.



“I see.” He looked off into the distance. “Are you treating her?”



“I’m trying to figure out why she acts in a destructive manner. Everything I have seen points to her youth, specifically her attack.” He explained. “She told the healer that it was two close friends. Would you happen to remember who she associated with that would be considered close?”



“Close?’ He asked, lifting his eyebrows.



“Close enough that she would feel comfortable talking about sex. Her best friends I would assume.”



“Yes, I do remember.” He stood up and moved to a shelf, selecting a book and thumbing through it until he found the page he was looking for, showing it to Neville. “This is Kevin Brandon and Justin Citrino.”



The picture was out of an old yearbook, and the three young students were captured during a quidditch match. Without robes, and in casual attire, he could easily make out Cathy in her younger years, smiling with heart. She was a pretty girl, before the years had taken their toll. The young men on either side of her were just as distracted by the game and smiling with as must enjoyment as she was.



They looked like another trio he had gone to school with, and knowing what would happen to her soon enough was a scary thought. “Did her friendship with these two change after he attack?”



“Yes, drastically, although it wasn’t known why.” Dumbledore eased back into his chair as Neville took note of the names. “She stopped associating with everyone, preferring to be alone. The teachers assumed that her attack made her anti social and as such made sure she was left alone.”



“Did these two young men change in behavior?” He asked.



“Yes.” A sad look overcame the headmaster. “I had thought, as well as everyone else that they were giving her space after the attack, but now that you are questioning this this way, I know they were avoiding her. They ceased to even eat or sit with her, although it was easily camouflaged by her reactions.”



Neville nodded, taking in what he was learning and getting a better picture of Cathy’s actions. “Do you know what happened to these young men?”



“Unfortunately I don’t.” He looked deeply at Neville. “Are you helping her in some way?”



“In a sense, I’m looking into her background, getting as much information as I can. If I am able to assist in some way then I will.” He stood and held out a hand. “Thank you Headmaster, you’ve been very helpful.”



“If she needs help Neville, do let her know that we are here.” Neville had a feeling that he also wanted to make up for not being more active when she was raped, and was more than willing to do so now. Not much got past Dumbledore and he knew the old man was hurting that this did.



“I will.” He took his leave, focusing on two young men that he had to investigate.





a.n: a little homage to mr. radcliffe