Sitting in the shade of a tree by the lake in what he deemed as "his" spot, Severus Snape felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He was being watched; he could feel it. He didn't do anything to indicate that he knew someone else was there, except slowly move to grip the handle of his wand. As the person drew nearer he could feel their waves of power rolling over him, more power than even his Lord possessed. It was a heady feeling and succeeded in distracting him so much so that the next time he looked up the source of the power was standing in front of him. It was a boy who looked about the same age as him with messy black hair that made it look like he had just rolled out of bed. His most striking features were his eyes though, emerald green and piercing. He was wearing just a white t-shirt and jeans with scars littering the golden skin on his arms. Severus had a suspicion that there were a lot more scars that were hidden as well, but he was still beautiful. He bore a slight resemblance to Potter, but without the glasses marring his striking eyes. When he spoke his voice was like velvet; comforting, but at the same time commanded presence. "Hello Severus. I've found you at last."

The charming smile almost disarmed him, but he had enough wits about him to stand up swiftly and point his wand at him defensively. Severus' voice was steady, if a little weak, but his slightly shaking hand betrayed his fear. "Who are you and what do you want with me?" He got the sense that the stranger was amused and not at all concerned about the wand pointed at his heart. He would have been insulted if he hadn't been so aware of the sheer power the other boy radiated; he had a good reason not to be afraid.

Wanting to placate Severus, the stranger held up his hands in the classic 'I come in peace' gesture. "You can't yet know who I am, but you may call me Angel if you so wish. You might as well lower your wand as well Severus. As you can see, my wand isn't on my person and I mean you no harm. But if it makes you more comfortable you may continue to remain as you are. As for me, I am going to sit down." And then he proceeded to do so, right beside where Severus had been sitting seconds before.

Severus remained standing in shock at the stranger's presumptuousness. Who in the hell was this Angel? But his presence was comforting and almost felt familiar and he found himself already starting to trust this stranger. His intuition had never been wrong before, so he decided to rely on it this time as well. While Angel looked on, Severus stiffly put his wand back in his robes and sat down in his previous space now beside Angel who was positively brimming with happiness. "Are you a new student here Angel?" For Severus was sure that he had never seen this beautiful specimen of a boy before and wanted to know what he was doing there.

"No, I'm sorry Severus; I'm only here for the day."

For some reason Severus didn't doubt that those green eyes knew everything about him and also genuinely wanted to stay. "Why are you here then?"

"I'm here for you Severus; because you are my soul mate."

"What?" He uncharacteristically exclaimed hoarsely, his eyes going wide in surprise and then narrowed in suspicion. "But there haven't been real soul mates in thousands of years! You can't honestly expect me to believe that." He crossed his arms defensively when Angel adopted a grim and resigned expression, like he had anticipated his reaction.

"Very well. I shall just have to show you." Angel closed his eyes in concentration, but Severus wasn't left nervous for long. Almost immediately he felt a wave of familiar feeling magic wash over his senses and combine with his own. Combining the magic of two people was extremely risky because they very rarely tolerated each other. In many cases their combination was violate and caused the death of both the wizards involved. Only if they were soul mates would their magic welcome each other completely and combine with each other so readily. It was the most intimate thing Severus had ever felt, it was more comforting and warm then any hug could ever be. So when Angel's magic retracted, it left Severus feeling very empty and gasping for breath like he'd just run a marathon.

"Do you believe me now Severus?" The way his name was said, along with the piercing stare made him shiver with something he hadn't ever felt before, and he nodded breathlessly. And just like that, Angel's mood changed again, giving Severus a headache. He grinned brightly and said, "Good, but now there is a choice for you to make." Becoming serious once again, Angel held out his hand palm up and a long piece of black silk materialized in it. Looking closer Severus could see swirling silver designs decorating it; subtle yet exquisite. But he could feel the same power radiating off of the silk as Angel, so he raised an eyebrow in question and didn't touch it. "This choker will bind us together if you wear it and will keep you safe when I can't, for I am from the future. By wearing it you become mine." At the last word Severus could tell that Angel was more than a bit possessive, but at the moment he was more concerned about the 'from the future' bit. Angel saw the look on his face and continued on. "Yes I am from the future and that is one of the drawbacks if you take this; you wouldn't become mine for many years to come. Could you do that Severus? Could you wait twenty years or more to see me again?"

Truly he wasn't sure, but he had a horrible thought and had to ask, "Why did you come back if I'm in the future with you?"

"I had to make sure you stay safe, so I came back to a time where I could claim you before anyone else had the pleasure." Severus couldn't help but snort out loud in his incredulity; like someone could ever want him. Angel threw him a sharp look, looking like he knew exactly what Severus was thinking, but thankfully didn't comment. "Now it is time for the drawbacks and side effects of the bond I suppose. I'm not going to lie to you; I am an extremely possessive person and will not tolerate you fooling around with other people." Severus recognized the order for what it was; he was to remain a virgin until Angel saw fit to change that. He was a little on the fence about this issue, but Angel's tone of voice brooked no-nonsense and he found himself nodding in (reluctant) agreement. This surprised him because it was so out of character for him and his surprise showed. "Don't worry Severus, I'm a natural dominant and I will take good care of you. Also, the choker is permanent and can't be removed, so decide carefully. And your memories will have to be altered until I see you again in the future so that the course of time will remain the same. You can't be allowed to recognise me early." There Angel sighed regretfully. "God only knows what kind of utter chaos a paradox would cause. As well, the choker has some minor and not so minor spells placed on it to ensure you remain safe, if not necessarily happy." Angel gave Severus an apologetic and regretful smile. It figured though that he would have a crappy life, no change there. "But should you choose to incorporate me into your life, I would seek to always make you happy." This was said with so much sincerity that Severus couldn't help but believe him, (even if the sentiment was ridiculous) so he nodded his head again to show his understanding. "Very well. If there are no questions I shall wait however long it takes you to come to your decision."

And with that Angel leaned back on the trunk of the tree they were sitting under to soak in the beautiful day. As for Severus, his mind was buzzing chaotically. He knew that this one decision would shape his entire future, but how could he make this decision without knowing anything about Angel? He thought of how safe he felt in that instant though, and it was the safest he'd ever felt there with his soul mate. He also knew that he should begrudge this beautiful stranger for mucking up his fairly routine life, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. Not when he thought of what he was being offered; safety, protection, and someone to care for him so he didn't always have to be in control. Because of this, he already knew what his answer was after only weighing it for a comparatively short while. "I have come to a decision and I shall consent to being your...well I suppose yours would suffice, would it not?" His words made Angel's whole face light up with pleasure, making him look like an actual angel from the glowing, causing Severus to involuntarily smile in response.

But sobering up Angel asked, "But are you certain Severus? You have to be absolutely sure because there is no breaking the bond once the collar is on."

When Severus spoke his answer, his voice was laced with conviction. "Yes, I'm sure Angel." Angel nodded firmly and Severus' heart rate sped up as Angel leaned towards him with the choker in hand and tenderly fastened it around his neck and swept his hair free of the silk. The intricate silver detailing lit up and the clasp disappeared after it was in place, leaving one band of silk. Severus brought up a hand to stroke it in amazement, the magic thrumming through it felt like Angel was surrounding him. "How much will I remember?"

"You won't remember my face or this conversation exactly. You'll just know that you're waiting for someone and have a guardian angel." Angel then winked, causing Severus to roll his eyes exasperatedly which in turn caused Angel to burst out laughing.

Then his face grew worried all of a sudden, giving Severus whiplash once again. "What is it?"

"I have to go back soon, time is getting impatient." Seeing the look of almost panic and fear plastered on Severus' face he helped them both up and hugged him fiercely. "I wish I could stay with you Severus. Oh...I almost forgot." Pulling back from the hug Angel had a mischievous smile on his face that Severus just knew meant trouble. "We have to stabilize the bond so that no one can break it while you're waiting. We don't have time to properly consummate it unfortunately."

"How do we stabilize it?" Severus questioned cautiously.

"We kiss." His eyes flew impossibly wide while Angel's seemed to want to devour him. This made his heart race, but he could still see the amusement hidden in his eyes. "Is that alright?" He questioned in concern after seeing Severus' shocked face. Severus just nodded his head haltingly and Angel took that as his permission. He gently cupped Severus' face with both hands and leaned down (because of the height difference) slowly so that he didn't startle him. Angel just let his lips brush Severus' and could feel the other boy shiver before he allowed himself to capture his lips with more pressure.

After Severus' shock filled brain finally registered what was happening, he allowed himself to close his eyes and hesitantly kiss Angel back. This seemed to be some sort of trigger because they both felt a powerful wave of magic run through them while the shock of it broke them apart. Severus opened his eyes again only to look at Angel in awe and wonder. Angel saw his expression and was confused until he turned to look at what Severus was staring at. His expression was just slightly surprised when he turned back around. "Well...that's new." Severus thought that if he suddenly sprouted wings he would be more surprised than Angel was, so he raised his eyebrows at him in question. Because that is what Angel had, white, feathery wings whose span was simply enormous. But the wings were gorgeous which suited the rest of him and made him look like an actual angel. Angel meanwhile saw Severus' disbelieving expression and laughed. "I've been experiencing quite a few changes to my person recently and if something would cause the biggest change yet it would be true love's first kiss. And your questions must wait until we next see each other." He said after seeing Severus' curiosity which made his face fall in response. Severus knew he'd have to wait a very long time and couldn't help but feel slightly depressed. Angel's face was filled with sadness as they just looked at each other, trying to memorize the others face. Then Angel's wings came around Severus' body to hug him close to his body, making him feel safe and protected in his embrace. "Now all that's left is to alter your memory." This just reminded Severus that no matter how bad he wanted Angel to stay, time wanted him back. So he looked up anxiously into the angelic face with the slight smile that dropped down to claim his lips in another gentle and loving embrace. Then with a flash of white light Severus was left standing alone and confused about what he had just been doing. The words I love you were whispered upon the air as Severus reached up to rub his bare neck.