SHIPping Attitudes

[stickbook41]

No: HPFGUIDX 55784

Me from before: 
> 6) Hr---->>someone else; Ron already proven not keen on outsiders, 
> > Harry/Ron friendship unbalanced on the mischief side.

Suzanne:
> Having a little trouble with the above statement.
> 
> Ron not keen on outsiders? I didn't see him have any
> problems with Harry crushing on Cho, only with Victor and
> Hermione.
...
> But I certainly haven't seen any clear cut signs from Ron
> pointing to him rejecting any outsiders for Harry.

I believe you've taken the issue out of context.  Ron didn't seem to 
mind the idea that Hermione was going with someone else to the Ball 
*until the Ball*, when she showed up with someone with whom she 
presumably shared a mutual interest.  *That's* when Ron started to 
feel threatened.

(Before I go on, I should explain that by "threat," what I mean is 
that it's a threat to the delicate dynamic of the Trio.  Not a 
personal threat to HRH's manhood/womanhood/self-esteem/whatever.)

We'll never know, of course, but I think that if Harry actually 
successfully took his ultra-passive interest in Cho to the next level 
(like Hermione did), then Ron would still feel threatened, and would 
probably react in a similarly not-so-mature way.  Instead, Harry took 
Parvati to the Ball, and Ron *knew* Harry did so only reluctantly.  
There was no threat there.  Ron only got mad when he realized that 
Hermione had been actively choosing someone else's company over his 
and Harry's.

Suzanne:
> Same with Hermione. She wasn't keen on Fleur (possibly
> because of feelings for Ron, imo) but didn't seem to mind
> Harry's interest in Cho.

Sorry if I sound redundant, but I don't think that either Ron or 
Hermione had any indication that Harry had been crushing on Cho for 
*a year* before he worked up the nerve to ask her to the Ball.  
Hermione only finds out when Ginny tells her that both boys got 
turned down for dates.  Perhaps by then she saw Cho as a non-threat, 
one who became even more of a non-threat when she and Cedric 
officially became a couple.  And Harry's interest in her became even 
more passive.  Ron's disinterest in Padma was embarrassingly obvious, 
so no threat there.

I hope this makes sense.

Cheers!

-stickbook