Warning: Slash...and I'm still not sure how graphic it will get. This story also has time travel and is pretty AU.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter...shocker, I know...

It began as it usually does. With magic.

A single figure slipped gracefully off a dark horse, his feet hitting the packed dirt with a thud that reverberated through the lonely silence of the highway. A feeling of expectancy hung in the air. Even the stars seemed to watching on this night.

A wind blew as he walked to the edge of the road, tangling the man's dark cloak, but the trees around him stood eerily still.

He leaned over now. Peering into the dark ditch that lined the road.

For a moment the world seemed to hold it's breath, listening carefully.

And something spoke. Answering the wild call of the world with an energy of it's own. Filling up the silence with a deep dark magic, that resided in the man.

Saying quite simply, This is it.

***

Salazar was nervous. It was not a feeling he was accustom to and certainly not one he enjoyed. This was the most important moment of his life, and he had very little solid information to work with. It was discouraging.

All his magic would tell him was that this....boy, this strange creature of white skin and dark sable hair, was it.

The One.

What he, Salazar Slytherin, had spent most of his life searching for.

It was not that he didn't appreciate knowing at least that much, but he wouldn't mind knowing some details as well.

A few questions did spring to mind.

Idly, he nudged the child with his toe. The boy didn't so much as stir. Salazar grunted in approval. This would give him a chance to inspect his soon-to-be-husband more closely.

The man-child was small, and far, far too thin. He didn't look like he was starving. Not yet anyways. If the boy missed any more meals he'd be there.

A pert nose adorned his narrow face, along with small pouty lips and unattractively high cheekbones. Perhaps the cheekbones wouldn't be so startling if the child was anything other than a bag of bones, but it was simply too soon to tell.

The only other defect was a zigzagged scar across his forehead, but perhaps that could be healed.

He was not a handsome boy. That much was clear. His face was too alien, too fragile for that. Nor was he lithe and effeminate like most of the men that Slytherin had taken to his bed. This young man was definitely not pretty enough for that.

And yet, the face held Salazar's attention. Pretty, Salazar mused he most definitely was not. But interesting, arresting even, he most certainly was.

Salazar rocked back on his heels, with a small smile. He would choose interesting over beautiful any day.

A closer look at his boy, for the boy was his now, caused Salazar's smile to disappear. His young man was filthy. Dirt was encrusted in his hair, on his cheek and buried deep in his nails.

Salazar would not choose dirty over clean.

Ever.

Cleanliness was next to Godliness. Anyone who wasn't an idiot (or Godric) knew that.

Still it was doubtful that this was an accurate reflection of the boys preference for personal hygiene.

After all he was lying in a ditch.

Unconscious.

And from the looks of it, he had been robbed.

It was slightly troubling to Salazar that the perspective father of his children wasn't a strong enough wizard to fend off a few ruffians. He most certainly would not abide squibs for children. Salazar made a mental note to look into power enhancing potions when he returned home. It was true they were dangerous, but it's not as though he would be taking them.

Though really he was getting ahead of himself here. Salazar shook his head in wry amusement. He was acting like a child with a new toy, leaping to all sorts of wild conclusions without any real proof.

It was just as likely that his fiance did have power and was just too much of an idiot to use it wisely.

Both thoughts were disturbing.

With another brisk shake of his head Salazar banished his flights of fancy and focused at what must be done. For one, the delinquents that had done this would have to be dealt with. Someone had harmed what was his. They would be made to pay. It was as uncomplicated as that. The fact that an hour ago no one, not even Salazar himself, had known that the boy was his was immaterial. Punishment would be absolute.

Sighing, Salazar put aside visions of violence and retribution. Revenge would simply have to wait. He had more important matters to attend to. Like getting his almost-husband out of a ditch.

Author's note: Hi!...wow, now that I've finally finished this chapter I can't think of anything to write...umm...I guess all of you should know that my chapters will all be fairly short, I am sorry about that, but my inspiration seems to come in small jolts and it's best not to force it. I will try to update at least every two weeks, but that might change when my school starts up. Thank you all for reading, it's exciting to know people even click on my story, let alone go through it all.

If you could review that would be fantastic!