SHIP: Hermione & Ginny, Hermione & the Boys

[cassandraclaire at mail.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 15354

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Slytherin_Daughter at y... wrote:
> 
>  Heh, well, this is a monumental moment. I have to agree. I don't 
> think they are good friends. Girls at that age tend to be like 
> Lavender and Parvati - almost always together, talking about boys, 
> just enjoying each other's companionship. I don't think that we 
have 
> any evidence at all that Hermione and Ginny have this kind of 
> relationship - Harry *never* notices them talking or anything. They 
> do have breakfast once, but I hardly think you can claim that 
*that*  is indicating they have a strong friendship. 

I agree. (Oooh, it's practically a wuv fest.) All this business 
about "Well, maybe Ginny and Hermione hang out together when Harry 
isn't around" makes me think of Surfeit of Curses, where Draco and 
Hermione spend all their time together when Harry's not around, and 
Heidi makes it amazingly believable, so that you start thinking "Oh, 
THAT'S where Hermione was at that time." IMHO there's about as much 
evidence that Hermione spends a lot of time with Neville or someone 
in canon as that she spends it with Ginny. I frankly think Ginny 
knowing who Hermione's date was and not telling was an example of 
Plot Device Monster. JKR needed us to know that Hermione really had a 
date, so we could wonder who it was along with Harry and Ron, and 
Ginny seemed the least totally unlikely to know that information. I 
still think Hermione's friends are Harry and Ron, and Ginny, while 
she may be friendly with her, is extremely peripheral.
> 
Em: You know, I want to know why it all boils down to Hermione's 
feelings. What about Harry? Doesn't he matter in this relationship at 
all? Hel-*lo* Farmer In The Dell. He might not care for Hermione at   
all, and be nursing a crush on Millicent Bulstrode.

Erm...the books are told from Harry's POV. If he had a mad crush on 
Milicent, we'd probably know. <g> And the H/H argument sort of 
follows from that. The H/H ers state that we know Harry's feelings, 
we know he isn't consciously interested in Hermione romantically at 
all. However, they see canon evidence that Hermione has interest in 
Harry. This doesn't mean that they don't think Harry matters; just 
that they believe that Harry and Hermione would make a good couple 
and that it would be nice if he returned her interest at some point. 
Especially considering that his feelings for Cho are basically an 
adolescent crush that will go nowhere (sorry, H/C shippers) due to 
Cedric's death and various other factors. (And JKR did say everyone 
would fall for the wrong people in Book 4. *cough* Ron *cough*). I'm 
less an H/H er than simply an anti R/H er. It makes me yuk. Since I 
know Draco/Hermione is wildly unlikely in canon, I'd rather they all 
found non-Trio people to date.  
> 
Emily: Ah. Took the words right out of my mouth. I think that 
Hermione 
> probably feels a little awkward around Viktor - he's eighteen, he's 
> smitten with her, she doesn't really know him...snip... I think 
that Hermione was feeling trapped (snip).  

Well, I don't think even the most vehement R/H er would argue that 
Hermione doesn't love Harry at least as a *friend.* IMHO, she was 
busy cheering for Harry and ignoring Viktor because she was really 
happy for Harry and really invested in his victory. She really, 
really cares about Harry. She wore herself nearly to death trying to 
help him prepare for the First Task, and practically gouged her face 
off with fear during it in case anything happened to him. Perhaps it 
had something to do with feeling trapped (I doubt it) but my reading 
of that scene was that she was sincerely distracted clapping for and 
cheering for Harry, and while that might have significance 
romantically, it's also the act of a loyal best friend which is what 
Hermione first and foremost is, and you don't have to be any kind of 
shipper to feel that. I think the "feeling trapped" reading sells her 
a bit short.


Em:....and this is just pointing out, once again, that the books are 
> from Harry's point of view and so therefore we don't know what 
> exactly Ron and Hermione are doing when he isn't around. *snerk* I 
> like what that implies. <g>

What you mean they've been snogging passionately behind the scenes 
all this time and Ron STILL didn't ask her to the Ball or notice her 
teeth? Lord, he's even more of a gormless cad than I thought. <vbeg>


Em: Frankly, I don't know  what I'm going to do when Draco and Harry 
don't get together. *weeps  because she likes odd pairings*


Well, I'm with you on the Draco/Harry. I think it's unlikely that the 
canon will er, tend that way, but we can dream. *squinches her eyes 
shut and dreams of favorite pairings: Draco/Harry, Ginny/Neville and 
Ron/Giant Squid.*

Cassie