"He thinks of you as his father. Honestly, what were you thinking spouting off nonsense about titles meaning nothing? You are NOT his bloody father!" Severus' nostrils flared as he hissed out the words. "Why would you fill his head with something that could only lead to disappointment?"

Sirius wanted nothing more than to throttle Snape, but since he was stuck relying on him for the moment, he kept his fists balled at his sides. "What could I do? Hm? He was crying in my arms telling me he wished I was his dad. Hate me all you like, but you know Malfoy sees Draco as nothing more than some living doll to mold to his liking. If that boy wants to think of me as his father instead, what the hell is the problem?"

Oh, the man was thick in the skull. "The problem?" Severus pretended to think a moment. "Oh, right. You have no legal rights to the boy, he considers you his father, you are now cut off from him, and he'll be lucky if Lucius lets him see the light of day this summer because he defended you, you dolt."

Sirius turned to the wall, imagined Malfoy's face, and punched it.

"Well, that will certainly help matters." Severus simply waited for the bloody Gryffindor to calm down.

Sirius wrung the hand he used to hit the wall as he joined Severus at the table. "What if I rescind the vote? Throw myself at the mercy of my family?"

Severus' disdainful expression said it all. "Black, even if your mother restored your place, do you really think Lucius will allow you the same access to the boy when Draco has made it perfectly clear he prefers you to him?"

"Then do you have a better idea?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact I do." Severus smirked. "The only way to get Lucius away from Draco is to finally catch the bastard at his own game. He has a list of dirty deeds a mile long. We just need to prove it."

"Right, smarty-pants, and no one has been able to get anything tangible on him yet." Sirius wasn't going to wait years to get Draco back. "Every day with that man is a day that breaks Draco's soul." Much to his annoyance, he heard the crack in his voice.

Severus heard it too, but even he couldn't bring himself to taunt the man about it. Draco was the one thing they had in common; Severus would feel the same way if he couldn't see him. "Tell me, Sirius, how far is Potter willing to go to help you?" He didn't realize he used Black's first name.

"James?"

"No, Harry. Of course, James." Severus felt like he was talking to one of the dimmer students he taught.

"I won't ask him to endanger his family." Sirius narrowed his eyes. "I imagined you wouldn't want to see Lily go down that road again."

Severus bristled, but he reminded himself to keep focused on his godson. "I had a different idea in mind. Lucius is an abusive bastard. He doesn't beat Draco, but the emotional abuse is overwhelming. Narcissa allows it. That is neglect. If we need to make this a package deal, so be it."

"Spell it out, Snape. How does James come in?" Sirius wanted his nephew back, but he really couldn't ask James to risk Harry or Lily's safety.

"We just need a warrant. If we get into that house under the guise of proving they neglect Draco, we'll find the things we need to lock them away for good."

"They do neglect Draco," Sirius muttered, but he knew Snape was right. That wouldn't be enough to put them away, but it was an excellent way to get inside the Manor. "You really think we have enough to substantiate the claim? Even with James' pull, he can't get a warrant with no proof. And I don't want Draco pulled into this."

"We have every single one of my memories." Severus sneered at Sirius' disbelieving look. "You don't think I care about Draco's well-being as much as you do? I've been collecting them since he was old enough to walk."

Sirius was quiet for a moment. "No, actually I was just thinking that was a brilliant move I wish I thought of." He exhaled. "Listen, you may not be my favorite person, but I'd never deny how much you care about your godson."

Severus stiffened. He hardly expected that from his long-time nemesis. "Yes, well, you are hardly the only one who thinks of that boy like a son."

Sirius opened his mouth, but found he didn't know what to say. He looked down at the battered hand he was still massaging. "He needs you every bit as much as he needs me," he said without looking up.

"Yes, well, he'll need all the support he can get if we succeed." Severus didn't feel like discussing that particular wound with Sirius. Draco may have needed him, but he also made it clear who he saw as his father. "I'll get to work tonight."