SHIP: Question for shippers

[bbennett at joymail.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 13598

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Star <star_ling at w...> wrote:

> People always talk about the dance when supporting ROn 
likes Hermione saying Ron was mad b/c he liked Hermione and 
she didn't break off her date to go with him, I don't see this.  Ron 
thought of Hermione as a last resort, if he liked her why didn't he 
ask her before hand, he could have 'pretended' he wanted to go 
as friends but no, he didn't even think of her till it was too late.  >

This is the first time I've heard the theory that Ron was angry 
because Hermione wouldn't break her date to go with him - I 
don't agree with this either, Star.  I do disagree when you say he 
thought of her as a last resort, however - she may very well have 
been the first thing on his mind. Ron is a 14 year old boy who 
has a crush on a girl - a scary situation, made more so by the 
fact said girl has been a good friend for 3 years. If you go back 
through GoF, you'll see that Ron didn't initially ask Hermione, but 
he didn't ask anyone else either (brain-dead veela-induced 
moment with Fleur aside), even though he mentioned to Harry 
the need to find a date. Why not look? Well, he appeared quite 
shocked to find out Hermione had a date; I think in his 
self-centered-14-year-old-boy-with-a-crush-arrogance, he 
assumed Hermione wouldn't have a date, so he could fail to find 
one and then they could conveniently both go stag and hang out 
the ball (as friends, of course). Why not just ask? I remember 
having crushes on friends in middle school, and going out of the 
way to seem normal around the person (even to the point of 
being distant or acting oblivous).  I agree with you that it would 
have been easier if he'd just asked her to go as a friend, but 
when there's a 2nd friend involved who could potentially tease 
you (Harry), as well as siblings who wouldn't mind a little 
younger brother torture (Fred and George)... that's an emotional 
risk I don't think Ron was ready to take (not this makes him a big 
coward -he's young, and not the first to behave this way). Ron 
doesn't find a date (which Harry had to do for him) until after he 
finds out Hermione has one, and then it's someone he doesn't 
give two flips about going with - because the girl he really wanted 
to go with was taken. 

<Also, Ron didn't seem mad that she was going with some one 
else before the dance at all, if it would have been just another 
student I don't think ROn would have gotten mad.  I think Ron got 
mad b/c he was jealous not of not going with Hermione but b/c 
Hermione got to go with his 'hero'.  Ron couldn't believe that 
Hermion went with Krum and she wouldn't even tell him, this is 
the guy he wanted an autograph from and here his friend his 
going to the dance with Krum and didn't even tell him.  I see 
Ron's anger and jealousy coming not from like for Hermione but 
his like (hero type peoples) of Krum.  >

Star, I think you're right in regard to Ron being jealous of whom 
Hermione went to the ball with, but I see it as icing on the cake 
rather than the main reason for his anger. I think Kathy pointed 
out that Ron continued to pester Hermione into telling him who 
she was going with. Being angry at Hermione for going with 
Krum was easier than being angry at himself for not asking her, 
and more rational (to his mind, anyway) than being angry with 
her for looking pretty and having a good time at a ball.

> This is just part of an argument at one sense that is used for 
supporting ROn likes Hermione.  I have a lot of arguments 
against this I suppose b/c I've been in this type of thing with a guy 
friend of mind.  He acts towards me just like ROn acts towards 
Hermione and I know he doesn't have a crush one me for a fact 
so I suppose that tends to reflect my views.  >

Hmmm, I wouldn't be so sure about that, Star (just teasing ;*). 
Seriously, there are all kinds of relationships and situations (you 
heard it here first!), and this is the way I interprete Ron's feelings. 

Now, I'm going to go pout because the storm swerved and I'm 
not going to be snowed in tomorrow morning.

Best Regards,
B