Disclaimer: Not mine

AN: This is MM/AD with mentions of rape. You have been warned.

Chapter One: Awakening

Minerva McGonagall woke up in the hospital wing. At first she didn't remember what had led to her being there. Then it all came flooding back.

It was the final battle with Grindelwald. She had rushed into battle with her husband, only to become separated from him. After she was captured by one of Grindelwald supporters, she was immediately taken to the evil wizard. Nobody knew, thankfully, whose wife she was. Had they known she surely would have been killed instantly. Instead, Grindelwald brutally raped her. Just when it seemed that she would be killed, her husband burst in, along with other order members.

Albus Dumbledore would have killed Grindelwald no matter what. He was a horrible wizard who could not be stopped any other way. However, when Albus saw his wife laying naked and bleeding on the floor, something exploded in him. The always calm man let loose all his emotions and, in a matter of moments, Grindelwald had fallen. As she watched the dark lord crumple, Minerva lost consciousness.

Now, here she lay. Her bruises and cuts were mostly healed, though she still felt sore. Her only thought was that she needed to get out of bed. The smell in the hospital wing was making her want to gag. She needed to get away. As she started to easy her way out of bed, Poppy came rushing in.

"Just where do you think you are going, Minerva?" questioned the new mediwitch.

"I'm fine. I have work to do and"

"I'm afraid that won't be possible. You need to stay and rest. Albus has asked that you remain here for him. He should be up shortly."

"Nonsense." Minerva replied. "Albus is very busy, and I'm sure he is also tired after the happenings of the last couple of weeks. There is no reason to burden him anymore. I will just be going back to our rooms."

Honestly, Minerva wasn't really looking forward to seeing her husband. She loved him dearly, but she had just been through a terrible ordeal. He would probably want her to talk about it, which she definately wasn't ready for. She also felt ashamed, and scared of how he would now look at her.

However, there is no postponing the inevitable. Just as Minerva was making a second attempt at getting up, the door opened and in walked her husband. She panicked. There was no way she could deal with this right now. So, without thinking, she ran to the bathroom.

Albus had seen his wife's hasty retreat, and he was very concerned. He knew that she had been through a very emotional night. He wanted, more than anything to take her pain away. It was important to him that she knew she had his full support. He glanced at Poppy, then strode over to the bathroom door.

"Minerva, love. I just want you to know that I love you, and when you need me, you know where to find me."

Inside the bathroom, Minerva had tears running down her face. She loved Albus dearly, but was so confused and afraid. The two had not been married very long and she was afraid that he would change his mind, considering she had been with another man.

"No. It wasn't like that." she told herself. "You didn't chose it. You didn't want it. Albus is the most considerate, caring man you have ever met. He will understand."

"Did you see how angry he was when he came in that room last night?" The thought sprang to the front of her mind out of nowhere."

"Angry at Grindelwald, not you."

"How can you be sure."

She continued arguing with herself in this vein for quite some time. She was unaware that, after twenty minutes with no response from her, her husband had left her to her thoughts. Eventually, she became aware of how dirty she felt. She quickly stripped off her pajamas and stepped into the shower.

Back in his office, Dumbledore was busy packing, lost in thought. He was very concerned for his wife. He needed to be there for her in any way possible. He also needed to deal with the reporters, all wanting to talk to the man who defeated Grindelwald. He needed to meet with the Hogwarts' board of governors. He also needed to find a way to tell his wife that Headmaster Dippet had been killed in battle.

The resposibilities of being headmaster were the last thing he needed right now. However, it was his job as deputy to assume the role should anything happen to the head of the school. So, he was now vacating his old teacher's office for that of the headmaster. This meant that he would also need a new Tranfiguration professor, and that Gryffindor would need a new head of house.

Back in the hospital wing, Minerva had showered and transfigured a clean pair of pajamas into a set of robes. She left the bathroom, and looked around. As there was no sign of Poppy, she dashed out the door and started off to her own quarters. Her personal quarters led to those she shared with her husband, just as his also did. They rarely used their personal ones for anything other than a walkway to the familial ones. She hoped he would not impede on her there.

When Poppy left her office half an hour later, it was to discover that Minerva was gone. She decided it would be best to look for her on her own rather than notify Albus. He was very busy, and stressed enough as it was. Also, she was aware that he was her new boss. She had only been the school mediwitch for two months and felt it would be a bad start to announce she had lost the headmaster's wife.

When flooing the couple's quarters, and Minerva's office didn't work, she began to panic slightly. She tried to convince herself that Minerva may have simply gone on a walk to think. "Should Minerva really be alone right now?" she wondered. Finally, she gave up and flooed Albus' office.

"Um, Albus?" Poppy timidly asked.

"Yes, my dear?"

"Um, I'm sorry to bother you, but you wouldn't happen to know where Minerva is, would you?"

"WHAT"

"Um, well, you see, um"

"How long ago did she leave?" Albus didn't really need to hear anymore. He knew how stubborn his wife could be.

"I'm not sure, but she's not in your quarters or her office."

"Very well. I will find her."

He went straight to their quarters, then continued to hers. It was there that he found her asleep. She was curled into a ball and had tear stains covering her cheeks. Albus left her there and took a seat in her sitting room, perfectly intent to wait on her to wake.