When they made their way back into the house, Hermione stumbled over the step into kitchen. Snape caught her and looked at her face carefully. She was normally graceful. Her eyes looked bruised underneath, she was pale, and she looked frail.

"You have drained yourself, you silly girl. All for me," He said lowly to her.

"What do you mean?" Harry's voice filled with concern.

"Hermione nearly died. She was poisoned with a knife that usually kills its victims quite quickly. I have witnessed the power of that particular blade firsthand as you witnessed with Dobby. The antidotes I gave her had to be stronger than the poison, but that doesn't mean that, just because they saved her, they weren't just as hard on her body and magic. The confrontation took too much out of her," He felt Hermione's forehead with the back of his fingers. She was clammy.

"So, what does she need?" Ron asked as he watched Hermione sway on her feet.

"Rest," Snape said, "I should take you up to bed so you can rest, Hermione."

Hermione grinned devilishly, "You can take me up to bed and we can do something else other than rest!"

Snape blushed furiously, "Bloody hell, Granger!"

Ron and Harry erupted in laughter, "Look at his face, Harry! Look at his face!!!"

Snape glared at them. His blush made him ridiculously less intimidating though, and they right kept on laughing. He turned back to Hermione in defeat and sighed, "Woman, you must sleep."

She pushed away from him slightly and swayed against the wall, "No, don't you remember?"

He narrowed his eyes.

"Don't you remember when your magic was gone? Don't you remember what we did that made it come back?" She sounded drunk.

"Fucking hell, girl," He said and covered her mouth with a finger. He could feel the heat of embarrassment all over his body.

The boys continued to howl, and even Luna began to giggle. Lord have mercy.

"Please, Hermione. Don't do this. Let's just get you upstairs."

"No. I will stay here and listen to the plan, Severus!"

Snape pinched the bridge of his nose, "Yes, I am certain that you will add valuable contributions to the conversation... as you have done twice already."

"Oy, let her stay!" Weasley sniggered, but he let up a bit when Snape's eyes flashed to his.

"Please? I'll behave," She pouted.

"No. You won't."

"Please! I won't talk!"

He raised an eyebrow, "Fine."

She sat on the couch next to him, closer than he would have liked given the situation.

"Yes, I... erm... Let's just move forward," Snape said as he regained his composure, "I believe that we can gain entrance into the vault. It's going to involve some unsavory spells and a few Unforgivables, though."

"I'm listening," Harry said intently as he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and looked at Snape. Ron and Luna were quiet and focused.

"Potter, you and I will go. I will be unable to find a Horcrux quickly. For whatever reason, you are able to find them," I know the reason, and I am so sorry, boy, "Do you still have that infernal Invisibility Cloak in your possession?"

Harry nodded and Ron said "Why can't I go?"

"It's going to take more than one person to keep this one home," He jerked a thumb toward Hermione.

As if on cue, Hermione slumped against his shoulder. Ron snorted. Snape sighed, his neck flushed again, and he attempted to remove her, to push her over to the other side so she could sleep against the armrest and not him. Shove off, Granger.

She growled and slapped his hand quite hard, "Stop, Sev. I'm tired," She curled up on the couch with her head on his thigh.

Snape stared at her in exasperation. His body was stiff in discomfort at the public display of affection. His jaw twitched and he was barely breathing. God, please, no.

"It's like she's drunk, Professor Snape," Luna said lightly.

"For our kind, magical depletion has a comparable effect to inebriation," He nodded and looked back to them, "She just needs rest. Her magic will be weak, but she will be back at full strength within a few days."

Hermione groaned in her sleep and grabbed at his left hand, pulled it to her, and let it rest on her shoulder. Hermione, damnit!

"Christ, Hermione," He said dangerously and he tried to move his hand away, only to have his knee slapped in protest. You're embarrassing me, woman!

"Just leave it, Snape," Harry said, "It's fine."

"It's rather cute, actually," Luna smiled.

He looked at at a loss for words. His body was tightly wound and tense, jaw flexing, and his fingers trembled on his free hand nearly imperceptibly. I can't do this. I can't be this. Harry noticed his fingers.

"It's fine," Harry assured him, "Just let her be. She's quiet this way."

Severus sighed, ran his shaky hand through his hair, and continued, "We'll take Griphook with us. I'll disillusion myself, you'll have the cloak," he pointed to Potter.

Harry nodded, "Yes, but Griphook won't help us unless we give him the sword."

"Yes," Snape said, "That would be where the Unforgivables come in."

Ron understood first, "The Imperius Curse?"

Snape's eyes moved to the floor, "Yes."

"We'll use that on Griphook to get us into the bank," Very good, Potter. So glad you have learned to pay attention. Hermione's warm body so close to him made his heart flutter. He wished so badly to share this moment with her in private. Insufferable war. Friends. Life.

"Yes, but Griphook doesn't have access to a vault that is as secured as the LeStrange's vault. Whichever of us is not controlling Griphook will need to use the Imperius Curse on the Head Goblin. He got in before," Snape said. This has to work.

"Before?" Luna asked. Leave it to the Ravenclaw to catch me.

"I put a fake Sword of Gryffindor in Bellatrix's vault."

Harry looked confused, "Why?"

"Because your friends were trying to steal it to give it to you, one of them being your sister," He looked at Weasley, "And your girlfriend," He looked back to Potter, "As it was the fake sword I had on display, and they had taken notice of it, I had to hide it somewhere where they would not look. I had to keep up the appearance that I'm working against them, that I am taking something helpful away from them. I put the fake sword in her vault and gave you the real one," He looked back to Harry.

Harry's green eyes brightened in realization, "It was you!" Yes.

Snape nodded, his eyes downcast. He was embarrassed at his patronus, at Hermione's head being in his lap, uncomfortable that he was being seen so intimately with her.

"So, we'll control them. We walk in, get into the vault, find the Horcrux, and leave?" Harry said.

Snape sneered, "It never goes that smoothly, especially where you are involved, but yes, in theory, that is the plan."

"People remember that they were Imperiused," Ron added.

"Yes, and that is where we move to the unsavory spells I mentioned earlier," Severus' voice was mechanical, "Memory charms are risky, especially when you're trying to modify memories. I do not want to risk that as modified memories can be undone. We must wipe them entirely and permanently."

Ron swallowed, and Harry's face was set.

Luna said, "Yes."

Snape looked at her curiously. This girl is much more than I have ever given her credit for.

"It is dark magic, yes, but this war is built upon dark magic. We cannot expect to win without getting our hands dirty," She said slowly, "I agree with his plan," She looked at Harry and Ron.

Harry nodded and Ron did as well.

"There is one more thing," Severus said, "I cannot use my wand to cast the spells. I have no problem doing all of the memory charms to spare you, but if someone, like the Dark Lord, were to test the last spells I have cast with my wand..."

Ron said, "Right," And he reached into his robe without hesitation.

Luna stopped him, "It isn't that simple, Ron. It isn't like letting him borrow an umbrella. Wands are different. The wand has to allow him to use it and, considering you just used yours to try to kill him..."

"Well, how do we know whose he can use?" Harry asked.

Luna said, "We already know," And nodded toward Hermione.

Severus didn't need to follow their gaze. He knew it as well as Lovegood had. His wand would, at the very least, humor her. Hers would do anything for him, but it would certainly let him know if it didn't approve.

Snape waved his wand over her and bewitched her sleep so she wouldn't stir.

"She's going to kill you, Snape," Harry warned.

"Of that, I have no doubt," He agreed as he slipped his hand around her wand and pulled it out of her pocket. It grumbled in response to his fingers. He pushed his wand back where hers had been.

"You're sure about this, Snape? If this goes south..." Harry started. I am not sure. I am never sure. Not anymore.

Severus looked at the sleeping woman in his lap, and Harry stopped mid-thought when he saw the look on the man's face as he watched Hermione sleep. Snape subconsciously moved her hair out of her face.

"This is how she stays out of it," He said quietly, "I have to keep her safe. This has to work." His occuluded mask dropped briefly in his emotional desperation.

The room was silent and filled with tense apprehension.

This has to work. This has to work. This has to work.