Essay on H/H in light of OoP (long, VERY long) (SHIP, mostly SHIP)

[psychic_serpent]

--- In the_old_crowd at yahoogroups.com, "pennylin" <pennylin at s...> 
wrote:
> He asked Neville to see Hermione to safety, and it was Neville who 
> said he'd carry her and stay with Harry.  So, really, it was 
> Neville much more than Ron who made a choice to remain with 
> Hermione.  [I'd far rather see Hermione hook up with Neville than 
> with Ron, btw].   

Oh, I loved the Neville/Hermione things in OotP!  And given that 
he's emerging as another doppelganger for Harry, that would very 
nearly make her a partner with the hero, in a way.  (Plus he and 
Harry share a birthday.)  

I think that with Ron and Harry, Hermione is in the age-old 
situation of a girl being taken for granted by her male friends.  
Harry honestly still doesn't show any signs of thinking of her 
except as a platonic friend (hence his bafflement at Cho thinking he 
wanted to meet Hermione for romantic reasons, and his earlier 
bafflement when Krum confronted him).  

Neville never needed a house to fall on him to recognize that 
Hermione was a girl, unlike Ron.  He's seen her and appreciated her 
all along.  (We see the two of them together right at the start of 
the first book!)  She largely annoys Ron and Harry, when they're not 
busy taking advantage of her to get their homework done, at which 
time they suddenly decide that it's great to have her for a friend.  
She's helped Neville in Potions for years, but one never gets the 
impression that he's taking advantage of her or doesn't appreciate 
everything she's done for him.  And she never seems to be 
withholding her help from Neville on principle, the way she has 
often done with Ron or Harry when they're irking her (or just taking 
advantage again, which they did WAY too much in OotP).  

Neville GETS Hermione.  And hopefully those three words will 
eventually prove to be prophetic...<g>

--Barb