SHIPping Attitudes

[stickbook41]

No: HPFGUIDX 55766

Pippin:
...has anybody pointed out that it's also a more mature feeling to be 
able to accept a hug from your platonic friend without discomfort... 
If JKR wants us to see Ron and Hermione's first mutual hug as a Big 
Moment, she (and Kloves) are building up to it the right way.

Penny:
> I'm not sure I'm following the transition from Rowling conceding 
that the romance angle involves feelings between all *3* members of 
the Trio to a R/H Big Moment.

Me:
I disagree.  I think, *any* romantically-angled Big Moment, no matter 
what ship, is going to be between all 3 members of the Trio.  
Whichever member ships with whichever other character, inside or 
outside of the Trio, whether romantic feelings are mutual or not, 
*will* change their dynamic.  There's always going to be at least one 
of them that is sadly left out of the new and exciting world of 
romance.  (This, I think, is why the puke-worthy OBHWF appeals to 
people--no loose ends.)

Think about all the possible sucky scenarios:
1) R---->Hr, and Hr---->R; Harry left out, now second-string friend.
2) R---->Hr, but Hr-no->R; Ron likely to totally reject Hermione if 
she rejects him romantically, Harry likely to take sides.
3) Hr---->H, and H---->Hr; Ron left out, rejects both Harry and 
Hermione.
4) R---->Hr, Hr---->H, no feelings mutual; oh, the drama in the dell. 
(barf.)
5) R---->someone else; Hermione seemingly not keen on outsiders, 
Harry/Hermione friendship unbalanced on the goody-goody side.
6) Hr---->someone else; Ron already proven not keen on outsiders, 
Harry/Ron friendship unbalanced on the mischief side.
7) H---->someone else; Hermione and Ron left to their own devices, 
could be very very good or very very bad.

What makes the situation even more delicate is that the Trio can't 
even express their romantic concerns with each other.  Therefore they 
can't help each other sort through all the inevitable confusion.  Not 
good for a group that's more than the sum its parts.

As soon as one of them gives more than half a thought to real 
romance, no matter which of them it involves, their dynamic will 
never be the same.  It takes real maturity, on *all* parts, for a 
friendship to survive something so detrimental.

That said, I worry for Ron.

The scary thing is, it's too late.  The dynamic changed the instant 
we found out that Ron may be harboring some new feelings for his 
friend Hermione.  It doesn't matter if she returns the feelings or 
not.  The fact is that there's a new underlying motivation behind his 
words and actions, a motivation that doesn't leave the friendship as 
easily as it entered.

That said, I worry for Hermione.

Cheers!

-stickbook
who is really not as anti-romance than I sound in this post