Severus moved out from under her and rose to his full height. Ron moved back from him. It was habit, born out of years of intimidation, to fall away from this dark man.

Snape's black eyes looked over Hermione's form, and he turned on Weasley and Lovegood, "When she wakes, she's going to try to leave."

They nodded in understanding.

"Do. Not. Let. Her. Leave," He said, "She needs rest. Tell her that she will fuck it up royally if she shows up. Tell her whatever necessary to keep her in this house. Understood?" His face was stony.

"Yes, sir," Luna said, "We won't let her leave, will we, Ron?"

Snape's eyes looked into the dark blue, "Will you, Weasley?"

Ron shook his head quickly, "Absolutely not."

Severus' mouth barely moved, "Good," He looked at Harry, "Get your cloak and bring the goblin."

Harry disappeared upstairs and returned in a moment with Griphook grumbling behind him.

"Snape!" Griphook jumped at the sight of him. Always the jumping.

"Griphook," He drawled.

"You're a traitor!"

"Indeed. As are you."

"Excuse me!" The goblin puffed up in rage.

"Don't play stupid, Griphook. Goblins don't make a deal that isn't traitorous. The Sword of Gryffindor? Really?" He arched his eyebrow.

"I will inform the world of your true loyalties," The goblin sputtered.

"No, you won't, I'm afraid," He kneeled down, "Imperio!"

The goblin's face changed from anger to neutrality. He took a final look at Luna, Ron, and Hermione's sleeping form.

"Take care of her," He said, "And yourselves. Do try not to get yourselves killed, or all this will be one giant waste of time. I hate having my time wasted."

Harry stood next to Severus, and they walked out of the front door together. Griphook followed plainly behind them.

"Are you prepared, Potter?" Snape said without looking at him.

Harry swallowed nervously, "Yeah. Sure."

He looked at boy for the first time in a long time. He's too young. His shaggy hair flipped up in the back, his face was pale and gaunt, "Chin up, boy. What's the worst that could happen?"

"We die," Potter said softly.

"No," Snape's dark humor was gone, "She dies."

He put his hands on the shoulders of Potter and the Goblin, "Cloak, Potter." Potter obeyed, He disillusioned himself, and they were gone.

They reappeared in a dark alley in a now disused section of Diagonal Alley. Potter was breathing hard.

He commanded Griphook walk several paces ahead of them out into the alley.

"Quietus! Muffilato!" Snape hissed, "Relax, Potter. Where is that Gryffindor bravery?"

"Laying on the couch at Shell Cottage," Potter whispered back, "You know she's the compass. That's why you picked her as your Secret Keeper."

Oh, yes. Snape said nothing, and continued moving forward. Harry walked next to him. Griphook, under Snape's direction, drew no attention to himself.

At the entrance of the bank, Snape hesitated and put his arm in front of where he knew Potter to be. Fuck. This is insane.

"Where's that Slytherin determination?" Potter quipped.

Snape growled, running his thumb over the delicate vines on the thin wand he held in his hand. Here.

He moved forward again and directed Griphook to the front desk. Potter's hand rested lightly on Snape's elbow for guidance.

"Sir, I believe we have a problem," Griphook, via Snape, told the Head Goblin.

The Head Goblin peered down over his podium at Griphook, "We have been looking for you, Griphook. Where have you been? You have caused quite a stir! What kind of problem do you speak of?

The goblin was suspicious. They always are. Potter's hand dropped off of his elbow and he felt the boy move around him.

The Head Goblin stepped down and moved toward Griphook, and Snape heard "Imperio!"

Good boy, Potter.

"Come, let us talk, friend!" The Head Goblin spoke.

They followed the goblins in silence to a cart and rode to Bellatrix's vault.

"It isn't far," Snape said. Potter's anxiety was radiating off of his body. Relax, Snape. Relax. Relax.

The cart came to a halt, and the goblins stepped up onto the platform. The wizards followed. Snape grabbed the Head Goblin's leathery hand and push it against Bellatrix's vault door. The many locks on the other side began to separate.

The vault opened and the reflection of the gold inside hit them like the break of day. The goblins stood to the side just inside the door. Harry moved in toward the vault, and Snape followed him as the door shut behind him.

"Potter," Snape hissed, "Touch nothing except the Horcrux. This gold has a Gemino Curse on it. Any piece you touch, except the Horcrux, will split and double infinitely."

Harry took off the cloak, and Snape made himself visible again. Potter stood completely still, the cloak balled up in his hands with his eyes were closed.

"Is it here, Potter?"

Harry's green eyes opened, "Yes," and his eyes moved to a cup on the highest shelf away from them.

Of fucking course. "Lovely," He narrowed his eyes and moved around the other side of the massive pile of gold in the center of the room. He stared up at the cup, "Do you see the sigil?"

Harry looked closely, "Hufflepuff."

"Indeed," So there are ones in each...

"How do we get it? You could probably hoist me up," Harry suggested.

"I'm not Weasley. You won't stand on the backs of giants with me, boy," He said sharply, but he smirked, "But you will be hoisted."

Snape took the cloak from Harry's hand and Harry looked at him in bewilderment, "How do you mean?"

"Levicorpus!" Snape said quickly, and Hermione's wand stung him in response after complying.

Harry Potter hung in the air by his ankles. Justice, James.

"Fuck off, Snape," Harry spat, "Just get this over with."

Snape sneered, "Language, boy," but his sneer turned to focus he dangled Harry closer to the cup. Potter reached out and tucked the cup safely into his chest. Snape released him gently and the boy landed on his feet.

"Cloak," Snape said curtly as he threw it at him.

His arm began to burn, "Fuck! Potter, we have to go. Now."

Harry looked panicked, "You go! Don't make him wait, Snape! I'll get myself out."

"I'm not leaving Lily's son in here, you fool! Let's go!" Snape disillusioned himself again.

He pushed Potter ahead of him as his arm burned again. Usually, there was more time between summons. Potter demanded the goblins move the cart faster. They had to slow their hurry in the lobby of the bank as the goblins couldn't let on that anything was wrong. Both men were breathing hard. Snape hissed at the pain in his arm. As soon as they were outside, he apparated them to an alley by St. Mungo's.

Harry's vision blurred at the sudden apparition. Snape turned on the goblins.

"Obliviate!" He hissed to one. The memories of an entire lifetime wound themselves around Hermione's wand and his hand.

Potter surprised him and did the same to Griphook. Once the memories disappeared into the air, he pulled Potter to him with both fists, apparated the two of them again to Shell Cottage, dropped Potter from his grasp, and disapparated again.

He reappeared just outside the gate at Malfoy Manor and tucked Hermione's wand deep within his robes.

"Snape!" Voldemort screeched at him. His entrance into Severus' mind was brutal.

Snape seemlessly fabricated an interrogation of Ginny Weasley. Snape held her head back by her red hair and dropped the Veritaserum into the girl's mouth.

"Where is Harry Potter?" His false memory spoke.

He felt Voldemort listening intently for several questions, and then he violently pulled out of Snape's mind.

"Did you learn anything, Severus?"

"No, my Lord. I had thought she would know where they might hide since her brother is with Potter. She knows nothing," It's truth enough. She does know nothing.

"Then you shouldn't have been late," The pain came quickly. It lasted longer than any time before. Spit flew from his mouth involuntarily as he convulsed. His nerves were engulfed in flames, shredded by razor blades.

It could have been days. Hours. Minutes. Seconds. When the curse lifted, Snape was nearly unconscious on the floor. Stay awake. Stay awake. Stay awake. Voldemort's attention moved elsewhere. He recognized the scream of Alecto Carrow next. Stay away. Stay awake. Stay awake.

"I should kill all of you. One of you should have given me Harry Potter by now. I should kill every last one of you," He said, and then he screamed so inhumanely that Snape, even in his semi-conscious state, rolled over and lifted his head to see what had happened. Stay awake. Stay awake. Stay awake.

Voldemort had dropped to his knees. He looked to be in pain, his slitted eyes wide, and he was bent over slightly at the waist. The cup. The boy killed it. Voldemort didn't look at any of them. His eyes were unseeing. Stay awake. Stay awake. Stay awake.

He called to his snake and she moved to him quickly, "Come, Nagini. The boy knows our secret, but he does not know of you. I must keep you close," and then he was gone.

The Death Eaters around him groaned, moaned, and cursed against the black wooden floor. Some managed to disapparate immediately. Snape pulled himself up, closed his eyes, and then disapparated.

He landed hard on the beach, knocking the wind out of himself. The torture and aftermath was so heavy that he couldn't lift his head. The waves washed up over his body. Stay awake. Stay awake. Stay awake.

"Severus!" Hermione. Hermione. Hermione.