SHIPPING of Love and War

[Allison]

No: HPFGUIDX 20971

Alright, I'm going to throw in my two cents worth (though you're 
getting overcharged)...

Ebony/AngieJ said: 
> I see R/H being good for a while, but I really don't think they'd 
spar a la 
> Hepburn and Tracy forever.  After a while, I see one or both of 
them losing 
> interest.

But they don't fight all the time.  They do fight a lot, but it's 
really only been a serious fight that didn't resolve itself quickly 
once, over Scabbers.  But most of their fights are really pretty 
minor.

> 
> You see, after nearly a year of contemplation of the matter, I do 
think that 
> it's not the bickering that bothers me most about R/H.  It's their 
> personalities.
> 
> Ron at this point in canon has many merits as a character, but you 
must 
> admit that he is needy.  Perhaps he'll grow out of this.  My RL 
experiences 
> with this personality type indicate to me otherwise... we all carry 
ghosts 
> of childhood along with us, however deep they're buried.

True, Ron can be a bit needy.  But Ron is a teenage boy.  As a 
teenage girl, I'm going to offer my expert opinion that ALL teenage 
boys are needy.  He may not grow out of it completely, but it should 
lessen with time.  All teenagers are somewhat insecure, and this 
tends to lead to neediness.  I think Ron will get better as he gets 
older.

> 
> I think that Hermione has shown some nurturing tendencies, but 
after a 
> while, I really do believe she'd feel drained... and Ron would feel 
> dissatisfied with the amount of effort she was putting into their 
> relationship.  There are girls whose every waking thought is 
centered on 
> their significant other.  After the first flush of infatuation with 
Ron 
> (although I'm as lost as Jim Ferer is on this point--if *someone* 
could show 
> me conclusive evidence of Hermione---->Ron in canon and 
characterization, 
> I'd consider jumping ship), he'd have to share her with her other 
interests.

The only thing I have for Hermione being interested in Ron is in GoF 
(can't quite remember where) she tells Ron if he wanted to go to the 
ball with her, he should have asked her first, instead of waiting 
until the last minute.  Which suggests to me that if he had asked her 
earlier, she would have said yes.  

> 
> Now, for friendship.
> 
> I agree with C. S. Lewis (*must* do the Four Loves essay-post this 
summer... 
> :::makes mental note to self:::)  Friendship is based on common 
ground... 
> shared interests.  (QUESTION:  What is the basis of Ron and 
Hermione's 
> friendship?  No, not how it began... we know about the troll.  No, 
not just 
> because they are and that's all there is to it.  ;-)  I'm really 
trying to 
> understand other PoVs here.)  As long as Ron and Hermione have 
things in 
> common, they'll remain friends.

Now, I'm an R/Her, but I think it could work because in some ways, 
they are opposites, but in others, they're very much alike.  Both 
lose their temper at times (Ron more then Hermione of course) - 
Hermione slapped Malfoy, and yelled at Ron about the Yule Ball.  And 
both have a disadvantage at school: Hermione is Muggle-born, Ron's 
family is very poor.  And they're united by the fact that they would 
die for Harry.  Ron says "You'll have to kill all three of us" in 
PoA, and you don't hear Hermione objecting.

> 
> I do think that an unsuccessful romantic relationship involving any 
of the 
> Three could tarnish their friendship, depending on the length and 
> seriousness of it.  This is the thing I like *least* about being a 
> shipper... when all is said and done, I'd much rather have the 
friendship 
> and everyone looking for outside companionship... but then I can't 
be a 
> no-shipper, because if Harry, Ron, and Hermione all find other 
people, their 
> friendship will still suffer... you can't share all your secrets 
with your 
> two best friends all the time, and expect your sig other to 
understand why 
> you're keeping all this stuff from them.

*sigh*  You're right; a romantic relationship would hurt their 
friendship.  Even one that worked out.  Because if R/H works out, 
that makes Harry no longer their main common point, and it would be 
awkward with the three to be together, because they're not all doing 
everything together anymore.
> 
> What's that quote from Stephen King?  "The best friends I ever had, 
I had at 
> twelve years old?"  After the latency period ends, everything gets 
> complicated... which is perhaps why JKR has put off letting the 
characters 
> hit puberty for so long.
> 
> It's enough to make any decent Harry Potter fan feel like Peter Pan.

Amen to that.

- Allison