1976, Cokeworth
Lee turned the page. Without looking up from Jane Eyre, she mentioned, "You know, they all think we're up here snogging."
"Our relations have little minds. Petty, filthy little minds." Severus did not look up from Mr. Midshipman Hornblower. He didn't bother mentioning that they were cousins. Amongst wizards, cousin marriages were common and second cousins were a perfectly unexceptionable match.
"Are you snogging anybody at school? Like that Lily girl you mentioned?"
Frowning, Severus shook his head. "We ... quarreled. She's not speaking to me anymore."
"Sorry."
So am I, Severus wanted to say, but he kept his mouth shut.
"I don't like snogging boys. Actually," Lee hesitated a second, "I don't like boys. I, um, er, like girls."
Severus stared at his book a moment, pretending to focus on Horatio Hornblower's adventures whilst he digested that. "I can't imagine your parents were thrilled to hear that."
"They don't know yet. Daddy would go spare if he found out. And Mum - well, she'd be like Queen Victoria, who refused to outlaw it because she wouldn't believe such a thing was possible."
"That's the first time I've ever heard your mother compared to Queen Victoria." Severus thought. He knew Muggles were much more opposed to such liaisons than wizards and witches were. Indeed, until 1861 homosexuality had been a hanging offense in the Muggle courts of law.
Lee looked up from her paperback. "Is it - is it going to be a problem for you?"
"I wasn't planning to snog you," Severus pointed out. He thought of Barty Crouch and Rabastan Lestrange. "There are some boys in my dorm who are ... sweet on each other."
Frankly, Severus suspected the only reason Barty Crouch was a would-be Death Eater was because of how he felt about Rabastan. Rabastan's older brother was already a Death Eater, and he told everyone who would listen that he would be joining the Dark Lord's service as soon as he graduated from Hogwarts. Severus was strongly tempted to enter the Dark Lord's service himself. Voldemort had power, and those who served him would have power, too. And if he couldn't have Lily Evans, well, then power would do as a second place.
A very poor second.
Author's Notes: The relationship between Barty Crouch, Jr. and Rabastan Lestrange is stolen, er, borrowed from CatsAreCool's AU "A Marauder's Plan." [ s/8045114/1/A-Marauder-s-Plan] Severus is not entirely accurate in his facts. Male homosexuality was a hanging offense in England until 1861, and decriminalized (or at least made a less serious offense) in 1967 (1981 in Scotland). Female homosexuality was never officially outlawed. Queen Victoria allegedly refused to do so, not believing such an abomination existed. Singer/songwriter Allison Lonsdale has suggested that red-blooded British males found it impossible to believe that mere females could prefer other mere females over red-blooded British men, and therefore such a law was unnecessary. The Sexual Offenses Act of 1967 set the age of consent for homosexual carnal activity at 21 and heterosexual carnal activity at 16; this was not changed until 2001. JK Rowling has stated in interviews that the Wizarding World takes a much more liberal view of homosexuality than the Muggle community.
