[HPforGrownups] Re: Getting Shippy With It

[Penny & Bryce Linsenmayer]

No: HPFGUIDX 10960

Hi --

Jim Ferer wrote:

> Penny:"Again .... this is merely more evidence that Ron has romantic
> feelings for Hermione.  It still adds nothing whatsoever to the
> argument that Hermione would or does return Ron's feelings.  If all
> you have is evidence that Ron likes Hermione, you don't have evidence
> of a mutual relationship."
>
> I diagree. Although it has been discounted in the past by H/H shipdom, there is at least evidence that Hermione at the least has some proprietary feelings about Ron.  To rehash:
> (HWGA)

Well, the Captains of the respective Ships have reached a truce on this issue: it's not crystal clear whether Hermione has feelings for either of them, and if so, which one.  There
are equal arguments either direction.  What I objected to in Trina's message was again relying strictly on evidence that suggests that Ron likes Hermione & just transferring
reciprocal feelings to Hermione without really analyzing whether that's well-placed or not.  If someone throws out a bit of evidence that Ron likes Hermione & then concludes,
"That's it!  That makes R/H make sense to me," I feel obliged to counter that Hermione is a person with feelings & she should not be discounted.  She might not like either one of
them after all!

> Ron and Harry were having identical problems getting up the gumption to ask dates for the Yule Ball. Hermione never said one word to Harry, but plenty to Ron ["Well spotted!"].
> She's ticked off he hasn't noticed her.  If she didn't care, she wouldn't be.

I put a different spin on this (surprise!).  A few pages earlier Ron told Harry that they'd better get a move on or they'd be stuck with a "pair of trolls."  Hermione was naturally
indignant about this churlish remark and leaves the room in a huff.  So, when later it's apparent that Ron has been rebuffed by Fleur and looking desperate, I think Hermione takes
some self-satisfied glee at his predicament. She throws a little sarcasm his way -- but I don't interpret it that she's necessarily personally ticked off that he hadn't noticed
her.  She's deriving enjoyment from the fact that Ron's churlish attitude got him nowhere, all the while knowing that *she* has a date already.

> I insist the "blazing row" after the Yule ball is significant. "You know what to do about it, don't you? ...ask me before someone else does, and not as a last resort!!" Harry
> thinks she gets the point better than Ron does. If Hermione didn't want Ron to ask her or didn't care if he did, it never would have happened. And Harry sees what's going on.

And, I insist we don't know the full story.  <g>  Harry just knows that Ron doesn't realize he has feelings for Hermione.  There's nothing whatever said about her feelings for him.
I can also think of least one scenario where the argument would have happened even if she had zero personal interest in his date.

> Hermione, like any young woman, wants to be noticed. She definitely wants *Ron* to notice.

Aahhh .... I don't know about that.  The H/H'ers have just as many arguments that she has feelings for Harry as the R/H crowd has for their position.

Penny