Defending Ron (was Re: SHIP: kiss on cheek before quidditch match, anything?)

[serenadust]

No: HPFGUIDX 77461

<snip>

> Mandy:
> > I don't think either of us is saying that a man supporting a 
womam 
> > who is in power is a problem.  I know I'm not at all, although I 
> > can't honestly speak for AAm.  I just don't believe it is 
something 
> > Ron Weasley is capable of.  But the are many more Wizards and 
> Muggle 
> > men in the sea and I trust Hermione to pick a good one who will 
> > support her great ambitions.


Aam replied:
> You're right Mandy and, again, I must say that I completely agree 
> with you. Rebecca, neither me nor - as far as I can judge (but 
it's 
> impossible for me to speak for her) Mandy - meant to be offensive. 
I 
> don't believe that a man supporting a woman who is successful in 
> whatever she does is or should be a problem for anyone. 
Unfortunately 
> it is sometimes what happens for some men cannot stand such a 
> situation, and I suspect Ron being one of them because, as we have 
> seen in PS when he, following Harry, looks into the mirror, his 
> dreams are those of a person who seeks personnal success (being 
> prefect, a great Quidditch player, etc.), perhaps even to the 
> detriment of other people (remember his attitude towards Harry in 
> GoF ?) . We can understand that he somehow seeks revenge because 
he 
> was living in the shadow of his brothers. But does that mean that 
he 
> will be able to support his wife if HE is not as successful as she 
> is ? A least this seems doubtful for me. This is all I meant.
> Fortunately I'm just talking about Ron, not men and women in 
> general ;-)


Now me:
Well, now *I'm* offended! <vbg>

If there's anything at all in canon that suggests that Ron "can't 
stand" Hermione's academic achievements, I must have missed it, so 
I'd appreciate an example (and not just examples of his teasing 
remarks, which no one including Hermione takes seriously).  Is it 
really a sign of pathological insecurity for an 11 year old boy to 
wish for personal success at school when all his older brothers have 
distinguished themselves in various ways?  I'd find it much more 
disturbing if he didn't have any dreams and ambitions.

As for his rift with Harry in GoF ::sighs::, where does it indicate 
that he wants success to Harry's detriment?  He's upset with Harry 
because he (wrongly) believes that Harry has put his name in the 
goblet without telling Ron in advance how he plans to do it, and 
then refuses to admit that he did so.  No where does it suggest that 
Ron thinks that he should be champion instead of Harry.
And where are the examples of his seeking revenge toward Harry?  
Does he join the Slytherns in making fun of him? No.  Does he wear 
a "Potter Stinks" badge? No. Does he short-sheet Harry's bed? No. He 
doesn't even really refuse to speak to him.  Where's this idea of 
his seeking revenge coming from?

I think that Ron would be just as supportive of any future 
achievements of Hermione's as anyone else, maybe more so since he so 
plainly expresses admiration for her current ones throughout all the 
books.  As for the assumption that Hermione is destined to be MoM, I 
sincerely doubt that is likely unless the office is automatically 
awarded to the witch or wizard with the most NEWTS.  Her people 
skills and political instincts are not nearly as well developed as 
her intellect.  Frankly, I can see Ron being MoM more easily than I 
can see Hermione in that position, but it's purely speculative.


Jo Serenadust, back on the job