SHIP: Hermione & the Boys

[bbennett at joymail.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 15305

Penny said:
> Yes, you might use some common interest to get conversation going 
within a new relationship.  That might explain the initial subject of 
Harry coming up in their conversations.  But, Krum says that Hermione 
talks about Harry "all the time."  That's going above & beyond a
conversation-starter, isn't it?>

It may be above and beyond a conversation starter if you've moved
on to friendship; it might not be if you know the person likes you 
romantically, you don't return the feelings, and you're trying to
be friendly and offer polite conversation while keeping your 
distance. We really don't know what Hermione thinks of Viktor,
but if she likes him yet has no romantic interest in him and wants to 
keep a line drawn between them, then sure, I could see her continuing 
to bring up Harry, a point in common, as a distraction 
to stop their conversation from turning more personal. 

B, who used just such a conversational tactic last week when friends 
introduced her to a nice young gentleman in whom she had no romantic 
interest but did not wish to offend