Why Ron Loves Hermione - But is Mistaken

[Jim Ferer]

No: HPFGUIDX 81335

Darrin:" Why has Ron fallen in love with Hermione? It is pretty
obvious to me  that he has, though he covers it up in typical teenage
boy fashion."

"Fallen in love" is too strong, IMO.  "Attracted to" works fine,
though.  Ron shows plenty of signs of the latter but not the former. 
We don't see signs of depth or emotional intimacy in Ron's behavior
towards Hermione, but there's no argument he likes her.

Ron is, as you say, Darrin, a good, decent, intelligent young man, but
Hermione is not for him or he for her.

RON'S HAPPINESS MATTERS TOO

What does Ron want in his mate?  As the Weasley son most like his
father, Ron's ideal isn't very unlike Molly.  He wants a loving,
supportive wife that he can come to and talk about his experiences
with, make love to, and raise their kids with.  A decent, honorable
life I'd love to have.  The life of constant adventure he's had as
Harry's best friend is against his natural inclination, although he's
handled it well.

Your comments on Ron's feelings of self-worth are on target, I
believe.  That, combined with what I think Ron naturally wants out of
life, says to me he doesn't want the 24/7 challenge that Hermione
would represent.

And that is exactly what Hermione is all about.  She came to Hogwarts
for purely intellectual challenges and found much more. Her mind has
grown (!), but so has her courage, heart, sense of purpose, physical
bravery and people sense.  She is, and ever will be, always looking to
test herself and the world around her.  No other character in JKR's
creation has grown as much as Hermione.

So I believe Hermione's expectations and Ron's are far apart.  Their
life trajectories would never have come together were it not for being
friends with Harry Potter.  I'm afraid that Ron will grow to feel
harried and weary, second place to all her many priorities, and
Hermione will become impatient with Ron's (to her) lack of ambition.

Granny: "Therefore, I'm of the opinion that Ron and Hermione would
form a real symbiotic pair.  She'd probably be attracted to Ron
because of his ability to get things done without a lot of noise and
fanfare.  As one who always feels she has to prove herself as a
Muggle-born in the WW, Hermione would naturally appreciate Ron's
serene capability.  Ron, on the other hand has no experience in the
limelight.  So Hermione would naturally fill in this gap.  I'm with
you 100%, please G-d, JKR will not kill him off.  In my opinion, 
they're a match made in Heaven, and Ron will indeed will make his
mark--hopefully with Hermione at his side."

How would the symbiosis of Ron and Hermione compare to that between
Harry and Hermione?  I say not well.  We see plenty of examples of Ron
and Hermione cooperating, working together surely, as good friends do;
but Harry and Hermione are the perfect yin and yang, the phenomenal
natural talent combined with the exemplar of hard work and
application.  Harry and Hermione's life trajectories are converging
closer and closer as they complete each other.

To Harry, Hermione is the voice of reason that tempers his
impulsiveness.  He's starting to think a little more like her, hearing
her voice in him.  She's more: the one who knows what he needs,
whether it's a purpose to reconnect him with his peers (leading the
DA) or to start him on the road to vindication in the wizarding world
(the Skeeter interview).  They gravitate to each other, think
together, seem very much in tune to each other.  Even when Harry is
just plain unlikable, Hermione is there, sensitive to and knowing
what's going on in Harry.

Hermione, unlike any other young woman he knows, is up to the job of
Harry Potter.  His fame does not intimidate her, and she knows how to
handle it, both bad and good.  She will love him but not indulge him,
challenging him back to health from all the damage he's going to take
(and he's going to take one hell of a lot before this is over).

THIS IS NOT "THE HERO GETS THE GIRL"

This never was HGTG.  The girls the heroes get are passive toys locked
in a tower, prizes waiting to be claimed.  Hermione is a heroine in
her own right (so is Ron); HGTG doesn't apply.  

It's not about Ron losing out to Harry again, either.  I don't think
Ron and Hermione would be happy in the long run.  Harry and Hermione
belong together, and Ron deserves a mate who wants the same things as
he does.

Jim Ferer