SHIP: Harry and Hermione

[naamagatus]

No: HPFGUIDX 92359

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Laura Ingalls Huntley <lhuntley at f...> wrote:
> Laura (me):
> 
> Personally, I see Harry and Hermione's relationship in an *entirely* 
> different light.  In my opinion, he very rarely just *ignores* her.  
> Even when she was trying to get him not to break into Umbridge's office 
> in OotP (during which she got so repetitive and insistent that even *I* 
> was annoyed with her), he never just tuned her out.  Rather, he 
> realized that she had a valid point, but chose to go against her advice 
> anyway.  In fact, the entire day he was mostly on the fence about 
> whether he would go ahead and do it, which is why I think that Hermione 
> didn't just give up the first (hundred) times she tried to convince him 
> not to do it -- she could tell he was still deciding.


I have to agree with Pippin and the others on this point. Looking at the way Harry and Ron 
react to Hermione's nagging (and you must agree that she sometimes does nag), Ron is by far 
healthier in the way he deals with her. Harry very rarely argues with her - I mean carry a 
long, insistent argument, not just state his disagreement. I have always had the sense that 
at such times, he retreats from her (internally, I mean). Ron, on the other hand, *will* 
carry an argument with her, insisting on his own opinion. It's a *good* thing, you know. It 
means that he continues to interact with her, and when a person is being bossy and annoying, 
you have to either argue with them or ignore them. Bickering is better than no 
communication, IMO. Because Hermione is both opininated and caring, she will sometimes be a 
nag. A man who will remain there (emotionally) and relate to her in a genuine way, 
including firmly disagreeing with her, is the mate she needs. Someone she can be her own 
forceful self with, not have to tone herself down. Ron is just perfect for her!

> 
<snip> 
> Furthermore, there is just a . . . different quality to her 
> interactions with Harry.  It's not that she doesn't *care* what Ron 
> thinks, but she doesn't value or respect his ideas.  Harry, on the 
> other hand . . . I, at least, definitely get the impression that she 
> cares deeply about and has respect for his feelings and ideas.
> 
> Aside from all this, how often is she gentle with Ron?  Does she ever 
> *really* put his needs before hers in any meaningful way?  Has she ever 
> actually conceded *anything* to him?  Does she support him the way she 
> does Harry?  I know that I certainly see R/H and H/H interactions 
> through biased eyes, but I just don't think Hermione *respects* Ron 
> very much.  They're good friends, yes, of course.  But I don't think 
> their bond really goes any deeper than that.
> 

Of course we see her being more concerned about Harry - he's the one whose constantly in 
mortal danger. Ron never needed her the way Harry needed his friends in his various 
exploits. 

I think I agree with you that at the moment Hermione respects Harry more than she does Ron. 
Her surprise that Ron is chosen as prefect shows this clearly. But attraction is a strange 
thing, sometimes. We all know that to admire somebody, even deeply like them, doesn't 
guarantee attraction. Young as they are, if JKR intends an H/H, she's leaving it awfully 
late in the story to generate romantic heat between them. Whereas, at least from Ron's side, 
there is quite a lot of that already, established at least since GoF. 


Naama