A/N: Thank you all for reading this story and for all your reviews :) I'm sorry if I don't get to answer them all, but I do read all of them, and some of them give me good ideas for where to go with this story. I'm glad I was able to post this so soon, although I don't know how regular my updates will continue to be. There's also a poll in my profile about this story, if you want to answer. It's simple, just whether there should be some sort of pairing or whether it should stay gen. I'm leaning in favor of gen, but I wanted to know what you all think.

Severus went to open the door, wondering who would be knocking, especially this late at night. No one came to visit, and if it was his dad he would have just barged in, sending the door slamming into the wall. His mother wouldn't have knocked either, and she was working right now anyway, so it couldn't be her.

He sighed when he opened the door, seeing Sirius and the man he assumed was Potter Sr. standing on the other side. Why, when he had sent the annoying boy away, why would he return to try to convince him, yet again, to stay at Potter Manor? Gryffindor's truly never did give up. He wasn't sure whether he should find the Black heir's persistence amusing or irritating.

"Severus Snape?" Charlus questioned, looking at the slim, dark haired boy. Yes, the child showed the signs to back up everything Sirius had said (he had his doubts, but it was nice to know that Sirius did know that some things shouldn't be joked about), and he could see annoyance in the boy's dark eyes. "I'm Charlus Potter. You likely know my son James." It was more tactful than saying that his son had very likely bullied the poor boy, and he was curious as to how the Slytherin would speak of his son.

"We are in the same year at Hogwarts, as is Black," Severus said neutrally. He wanted this man to tell him what he was doing here. Black was unusually quiet, something that unnerved Severus. A quiet Black, in his experience, wasn't good. When Black was quiet, he was usually plotting some way to make trouble for Slytherins, Severus in particular.

Charlus knew that the boy wouldn't have much patience for small talk, if for no other reason than he likely had chores he needed to accomplish. He decided to cut straight to the point. "Sirius told me about how your father treats you." Better not to directly address it as abuse, not yet. He could tell this boy was proud, and addressing that he knew that the boy's father beat him would just make him close up. He likely thought he should be able to take care of himself, not needing anyone else to help him. It was likely part of the reason (a small part, as he was sure most of it was because of how Sirius and James had treated the boy) that Severus had declined Sirius' offer.

Severus had expected that, but it still stung. Why couldn't Black keep from running his mouth, just this once? No, the Gryffindor had to go and blab his secrets to the first person he saw. He scowled darkly. "Of course he did," he muttered, stepping back so the others could enter the house. He closed the door behind them, folding his arms over his chest. "I'm not going to your Manor, sir. It is a kind offer, but I'm afraid I have to decline." Politeness was necessary. He didn't know this man, didn't know how he would react if Severus told him, point blank, to leave. His father would take his belt to him if he was disrespectful, and when he was younger his mother had tried to instill manners into him.

Sirius winced at how annoyed Severus looked. He thought he was doing the right thing, Mr. Potter could help, but Severus was still being stubborn. He hoped Mr. Potter would have some idea to convince Severus to get out of here. Even if they had to kidnap Severus, Sirius didn't want to leave him here. No one deserved this, he knew that, but he didn't know how to convince Severus to trust him. He wouldn't pick on him for this, didn't Severus know that?

Charlus nodded when Severus said that he didn't want to go home with them. He didn't expect anything different, and no matter how polite the boy was, Charlus knew that all he wanted right now was for them to leave, and for Sirius to have never told him about the boy's home life. Now that he knew, however, he wanted to help the boy. Convincing him to accept the help might be a little more difficult.

He knew that the young man would never agree to go to Potter Manor, and he couldn't blame him. While that would be the easiest solution for Charlus, he knew it wasn't best for the boy. James, Sirius, and Severus, as well as James' other two friends, hadn't gotten along. This had been going on since they started Hogwarts, from what he understood, and they were going to start their sixth year soon. No, even with Sirius' suddenly changed perception, there was no way that Severus would be comfortable there.

However, there was more than one way to skin a cat, as the muggles said.

His eyes narrowed as he thought, listening to Severus and Sirius bickering, Sirius trying to convince Severus go to the Manor and Severus resisting. They were both stubborn, but it was clear that Severus was going to win that argument. If the argument was changed, however…

If they could offer to get Severus out of here, without having him come to Potter Manor, Charlus thought that the boy would agree to that. Rooms at the Leaky Cauldron weren't expensive (although he knew that it was currently out of the boy's means). If he paid for Severus to stay there, and gave the boy a few galleons in allowance each week for food and necessities, he thought that might work.

With how Severus had been raised, he knew that the boy would likely be able to make a few galleons last for months, lessons from a life where he had little and had no means to get anything better, and he could tell the boy was responsible.

The only obstacle he could see was trying to convince the boy to agree. He still had his pride, after all, and Charlus would need to word this carefully so it didn't sound like he pitied him. Sighing as he watched the argument between the two boys taper off, he resolved to mention it. He was a Gryffindor, after all, and they never backed down from a challenge.

Besides, his optimistic side thought, perhaps the boy will actually allow you to file a report on that muggle, once he learns to trust you.