OOP: The case for a Ron - Luna Ship

[marephraim]

No: HPFGUIDX 65400

Debbie wrote:
> 
> Wasn't Luna totally hitting on Ron the entire book?? I think it's 
> Luna/Ron to Hermione/Krum. I'm not saying that these people will 
> end up as couples; I still think it will be H/R. But until Ron 
> realizes his feelings for Hermione, she's going to keep Krum to 
> get him jealous, while Ron will use Luna to get Hermione jealous. 
> Ahh... the fun times in youth.....
> 
> However, I think Luna could end up with Neville. He'll have the 
> same characteristics she likes in Harry, after Ron dumps her 
> (after never really going out with her in the first place).
> 

IIRC, there has been considerable discussion of the possibility that 
no pairing of the Trio would ship due to the intricacies (sp?) of 
their 'working relationship;' they're too involved with each other 
as friends and companions on the quest to defeat the Dark Lord to 
ever make that (hollywood-ish) leap to romantic interest. Yet people 
still discuss their favourite possible pairings. Until OOP, I was a 
firm R/Hr shipper. However, this book propells me to solid Ron/Luna 
shipper status. 

Points to consider (using the UK edition):

Pages 168-170 Luna gives the customary "You're Harry Potter" 
response to meeting Harry, and merely ends the conversation after 
being introduced to Neville. She only shows further interest vaguely 
when Neville attempts to show off his potted plant. 

But p. 171, after being out of the loop conversation-wise 
for 'nearly and hour' (p. 170) she re-emerges to speak to Ron. Note 
particularly the quote ' "She doesn't think you treated her very 
well, because you wouldn't dance with her. I don't think I'd have 
minded," she added thoughtfully, "I don't like dancing very much." '

On p. 172, "nobody laughed harder than Luna Lovegood" at Ron's joke. 
Ron is so unprepared for the degree of her appreciation at this that 
he even questions whether she's making fun of him. When Harry asks 
to borrow her magazine, "She nodded, still gazing at Ron, breathless 
with laughter." (p. 173) Later, she volunteers to take Ron's owl (p. 
177) thus ensuring that she'll have another contact with him.

Note that in Harry's conversation with Cho (and Luna) pp. 350f, Luna 
really seems to be just chatting, perhaps boasting, but IMO, not 
attempting to impress Harry particularly.

At the Slytherin-Gryffindor Quidditch match, Luna supports 
Gryffindor, but in offering her best wishes she particularly speaks 
to Ron: "Anyway ... good luck, Ronald!" (p. 357) Note the hesitancy 
and use of the formal name, versus the more informal "Ron" which 
indicates she intended to get his attention. Her only show of 
support otherwise is to wear an eagle at the Gryffindor-Ravenclaw 
game (p. 602)

Some have remarked that the mistletoe incident shows Luna has an 
interest in Harry. Not so. She notices the mistletoe and when Harry, 
under the mistaken impression that she would to kiss him, jumps 
back... ' "Good thinking," said Luna very seriously, "It's often 
infested with Nargles." ' (p. 400)

The Hogsmeade Weekend.... Hermione has arranged for Rita Skeeter to 
do an interview with Harry, which Luna will ensure her father 
publishes. Ron is absent from this meeting due to Quidditch 
practice, yet note that while Harry, Rita nd Hermione are discussing 
the interview (amidst Hermione and Rita's sniping at each other), 
Luna "sang 'Weasley is our King' dreamily under her breath and 
stirred her drink with a cocktail onion on a stick." (p. 500) Months 
after the match, Luna is still thinking about Ron. And when the 
article is published, she goes to the Gryffindor table and squeezes 
in to sit "on the bench between Fred and Ron." (p. 510) There seems 
clearly to be a natural attraction at work here.

(As an aside to the Luna+Neville shippers, note that when Harry and 
the gang are captured by Umbridge, Neville is capture for '"trying 
to stop me taking her," he pointed at Ginny...' (p. 654))

During the set up for Harry's attempt to discover if Sirius has been 
taken by You Know Who, Luna asks several questions (not knowing the 
back-story) which Harry completely ignores. Later in the forest when 
she asks who Gawp is, it is Ron who answers her (he thinks higher of 
her than Harry?). (p. 670) When Luna persists in noting that they 
can fly to London it is Ron who engages her in argument, not Harry 
(p. 671). This shows that Ron is more aware of her than Harry. 

In the fight at the MoM, when the group become separated, initially 
it is Ron, Ginny and Luna are together (p.695-697) (I admit this is 
a bit weak, but I see the author's hand at work in the grouping.) 
When the group are reunited and Luna is explaining to Harry and 
Neville what happened to them the only time a real emotion is 
mentioned for her is when she tell what happened to Ron (p. 702)

And finally, the Luna-Harry encounter... People seem to have read a 
lot into this conversation, but if you consider it objectively, 
Harry and Luna both have experienced death, and Luna notes that her 
mother's death was "rather horrible." (p. 760) This is two people 
who can speak about a topic (death, mourning, etc.) because they 
both have experience with it. Harry can't identify with Hargrid (age 
difference), and can't discuss it with Ron and Hermione who have 
never experienced it like Harry, so discussing it with Luna is a 
natural. He might just have easily discussed it with Neville, but 
the "Neville searching for the ever lost Trevor" bit has been done, 
yes?

In all, Harry's encounters with Luna have no more spark of romance 
than his encounters with Sunan Bones. Yet Luna is revealed to have 
at least the semblance of a preoccupation with Ron. I think there is 
more significance to Ron's answering her question at the MoM in that 
while Harry and Hermione totally ignore her at this point, he is 
aware of her presence and accepts her as a member of the group.

And note: for all you Harry/Hermione shippers out there, a Ron/Luna 
ship would be the perfect avenue to allow such a ship to develop. As 
someone pointed out, JRK perhaps, she's the perfect 'anti-Hermione' 
temprament-wise.

MarEphraim
(who's fingers are aching from the fast page-turning to accumulate 
all the evidence)