You know, I never really understood why people think that Ron and Hermione are well suited. I just don't see it. I'm not being mean or anything, and I do think that opposites attract, but then so do people that are similar. R/Hr is said to be polar opposites and I agree, but I dont think that they are well suited at all.

In book one, Ron cannot abide her and hurts her feelings. OK, so they are mere kids and kids do hurt each other with unkind words. But, Ron just keeps hammering at her until it reaches a point where she gives back the same junk he dishes out. And, this is suppose to be L-o-v-e? Hardly.

Ron and Hermione are constantly at each others throats in the series. Did it ever stop? When in the 19 years since book 7 ended, did it finally stop?! In the epilogue, I see a Ron that hasn't changed. He's still a clown. As for Hermione, she's UNcharacteristically quiet. I get the feeling that she may have been the one to have "thrown in the towel" in that relationship. One of them had to change in order to preserve the relationship, and IMO, it wasn't Ron.

I've known couples that started out as R/Hr ~ the whole bickering and sniping at one another, each trying to best the other. At first it's comical and entertaining to watch them behave as they do. Then it becomes tiring and, like Harry in one of the books - OotP, I believe - there comes a time when you tell them "enough already!". I've actually known two couples that behaved as R/Hr do in the books. One couple got as far as getting engaged, but they ended up breaking their engagement. The other married, but divorced a couple of years later, fortunately there were no children in that marriage. It was a bit like, as that old cliche goes, "I love them, but I can't live with them."

Personally, I never understood why one or the other would put up with all of the bull. My personality would never allow for a guy to treat me the way Hermione was treated by Ron; nor, is my personality such that I would treat a boy that I liked the way Hermione treated Ron. I will never understand that type of relationship. This is part of the reason as to why I am so anti- R/Hr. This and the fact that I took to heart the many H/Hr moments that were written in all of the books making me into an H/Hr shipper!

Dumbledor's Widow, I agree with you on almost every point you've made. I never was a fan of the Ron and Hermione ship. It didn't make much sense to me. I couldn't tell what it was they liked about one another. Though I think Ron has some very funny moments in the books, he's never been a character I particularly liked. He appears prejudiced against non humans and both he and Harry tend to be very biased.

I love the posts in this topic you made, Dumbledor's Widow. I'll have to find your other posts because we seem to think a like when it comes to R/Hr. I always thought Harry and Hermione would be good together, myself. If anything, its that part where she hugs harry without a thought and only shakes Ron's hand that made me think she liked Harry. And the fact she always spoke about Harry to Krum as well. I misread all those signs as well. I didn't realize JKR was putting R/Hr together until book 6 also. But the signs for Harry and Ginny were pretty clear early on... unfortunately.

Hi Whisperwood! Glad to see another person that doesn't care for R/Hr posting here on Veritaserum, there are so few of us to begin with.

It's interesting that you felt that there were signs for H/G early on, because I have to say that I didn't. In fact, it's because I feel that H/G came out of the blue that I dislike that ship so much. In hindsight, many people feel that H/G was going to happen, but even then, I just didn't see it. Perhaps I'm too literal. On the other hand, perhaps it's because Rowling truly does stink at writing romance! But, we'll just have to go the the Harry/Ginny Venom thread for any further discussion on that ... or, we'll be off topic.

I don't really dislike Ron as a person, I just don't care for him being with Hermione. The two together are like oil and water. To me, they just don't mix. I really think that the ONLY reason Ron and Hermione are together is because Rowling wanted them to be. She obviously had another girl in mind for Harry and she didn't want to short change Ron by handing Hermione over to Harry! I guess she thought it was cute to drag out the R/Hr relationship for 6 whole books before finally bringing them together as a couple. I have to say that the bickering was driving me nuts, just like it did Harry, and if I had to put up with any more bickering between the two of them, I don't think I would have bothered to read book 7! It bothered me that much.

I never understood this couple. I mean granted, it was pretty clear that JK meant for them to be together especially after book 4, but I could never see the two of them dating. To me, it would be more probable for Ron to date Lavender, and end up having children with her. She seems to be more on his level. Sorry if that seemed like I was bashing Ron, what I meant by that was hermione is more mature than Ron, she is more logical, she is-to put it blutly- more intelligent than him. Not that there is anything wrong with Ron, the world would be a scarry place if we were all as smart as Hermione, but to be the two of them together in a relationship would only make each other miserable.

I feel the same way and I know exactly what you mean. I always feel like I'm bashing Ron when I try to explain why these two aren't good as a couple. Ron needs someone who accents him, not someone who raises their nose at his habits and has to keep him in check. Eventhough I didn't much like Ron and Lavender together because all they did was snog and she called him 'Won won," they definately would have been a better couple because Ron would not have to act so much out of character. And just like you said, they would be on the same level. I just wish that Lavender didn't appear so cheap and lovesick like the way JKR had her in HBP. That's not exactly how I imagined her before.

Both Ron and Hermione had to change so much just to make this relationship work, and instead, I think that they should both be with people who they can just be themselves around. As friends, Ron and Hermione work, but as a couple, there are too many issues.

Exactly! Thank goodness someone understood what I was trying to say! I wasn't really a big fan of the "won won" thing either, I just mean that even Lavender with her crazy lovesick ways was better for Ron than hermione who would always think of him as childish and Ron would always think of Hermione as a bookworm who never had time for fun. If I was in that relationship, I would be miserable.

I agree wholeheartedly...

Ron and Hermione are not a good fit. Ron, unfortunately does not understand girls and is a very shallow person when it comes to the opposite sex. He longs for the status of celebrity; he wants girls to pay attention to him because he does something brave or daring. Hermione, really wants a guy who likes her for who she is. Therein, lies the problem...Hermione is very comfortable with being in a relationship based on her values. Ron wants a relationship based on the popularity that starts it. Ron mistakes Harry's fame as something that Harry likes and uses to his advantage. He wants what Harry has because he thinks this will makes girls and people in general, like him. Harry knows it is not healthy to want fame, especially for that reason (and so does Hermione). That's is another reason I ship H/Hr.

SO here's a couple questions for you all...


Who would you put Ron and Hermione with?


Me...H/Hr and R/L


What would you say to defend those ships over R/Hr

Because I'm starting to run short on time...chemistry between H/Hr and the lack there of in R/Hr...

How would you have reacted if the ships ended up R/Lav and Hr/Krum?


Shocked, but better than it did.

Who would you put Ron and Hermione with?

I thoroughly enjoyed the idea of Luna crushing on Ron. I thought that was so sweet, the way she went around humming the "Weasley is Our King" tune. I really thought that they would end up together, especially when Ron said something like, "she's (Luna) is growing on me", or something like this. I would like to have seen Ron and Luna together. But, Luna all but fell of the radar screen in HBP!

Hermione? Well, let's pause for a "DUH!" moment ... with Harry of course!


What would you say to defend those ships over R/Hr?

Those anvil size hints that were raining all over the readers just didn't get anywhere near me! I never once felt that Rowling was wanting to bring Ron and Hermione together. Certainly not by the way she wrote their interactions towards one another. They pretty much hated each other. They were both wickedly cruel to each other. This is hardly a budding romance. What could Rowling have been thinking here? It is totally baffling. Does she herself think that this type of relationship is really one that would be long lived? I can't help but think that maybe her first relationship was with a man like Ron, and look where that ended up. If anything, I saw R/Hr as a red herring. It had to be!

To me, all things pointed towards an H/Hr relationship. The statement from Harry, "I love her (Hermione) like a sister" was so far fetched. I can hardly believe that Rowling actually believed that she had written the H/Hr relationship as one between siblings. She was clearly deluding herself, and all because she originally intended to make it OBWF and by golly that's what she was going to do! The problem is that Harry and Hermione's relationship did NOT come across as one between siblings to many people, myself included. Here again, what was Rowling thinking? She pretty near plagarized George Lucas' Star Wars scene where Leia tells Han that she and Luke are brother and sister. That admission from Harry about Hermione being like a sister to him was one of those "WTF" moments to me and to other Harmony shippers no doubt!


How would you have reacted if the ships ended up R/Lav and Hr/Krum?

Ron with Lavender? Nope. I would have turned up my nose on that. Lav, I'm sorry to say, was portrayed as the Hogwarts bicycle (Ginny is too, as far as I'm concerned! ) and I just can't see Ron with her in a long term relationship. Besides, as I expressed in the first question above, I like him with Luna.

Hermione with Krum? No again. Krum was OK, but he was written as a distraction in GoF, and that's pretty much all there was to that. We are led to believe that he and Hermione wrote to each others the summer following GoF, but it was just between friends, pen pals, so to speak. Hermione definitely belongs to Harry, and he with her. There is no denying that, and even Krum suspected as much. So, I would not have been happy if Hermione had ended up with Krum because that would leave our vulnerable Harry wide open for the likes of Ginerva Weasley!

Glad to see you haven't changed your mind





I definitely agree, I just have one question for you...what is OBWF?






...I love it...absolutely hilarious and true...yeah I wouldn't like either ship, i was just wondering how everyone would've reacted


-Nick

Harry James Potter, OBWF is an acronym for ONE BIG WEASLEY FAMILY. It used to be termed OBHWF with the letter "H" standing for "Happy", but a lot of us H/Hr shippers didn't really see OBWF as being all that happy, so we dropped the letter "H" from the original acronym.

Rowling, we later find out, always intended for Ron to be with Hermione and for Harry to be with Ginny ... pity, she did a lousy job of trying to convince us of those pairings! On the other hand, she did a great job of portraying Harmony! She gave us so many Harmony moments ... but WAIT! ... they ended up being between brother and sister! Rowling had Harmony in the palm of her hand and she totally blew it!

Ahh...thanks DW I've seen that around the forums a couple times and every time I try and figure it out...I've obviously never been close, haha.

I still find it hard to believe that JKR had the ship between R/Hr since the beginning. I remember reading in her interviews, when people asked her about wehter Ron and Hermione would become a ship, she would always say something along the lines of..."If it isn't obvious by now, I'm not going to say anything."

But I always said to myself, I know it's probably going to be R/Hr, but it makes so much more sense for H/Hr to become a ship." I just don't see how she can say she planned it fro the beginning when she (like you said), "gave us so many Harmony moments."

-Nick
HJP

Who would you put Ron and Hermione with?
Well, Hermione for sure would have been with Harry. And Ron, well, I don't know...Luna, Lavender, Lucifer, whichever works.

What would you say to defend those ships over R/Hr?
R/Hr = 'sexual tension' (destruction)
H/Hr = love (green meadows with singing birds and bright flowers)
R/L (Luna, Lavender, Lucifer ) = Possible Love

Need I say more?

How would you have reacted if the ships ended up R/Lav and Hr/Krum?
If it was Ron and Lavender, I wouldn't much care. They just both need to grow up a bit to make this relationship work. Lavender was not painted in a very positive light. She was lovesick and just too easy. And Ron, well, we all know his flaws. He lacks consideration for those around him. Take away Ron's selfishness and give Lavender some self respect and I would have been perfectly fine with these two being together.

But now Hermione and Krum, I wouldn't be very happy if they ended up together. They both seem quite mature so for me to say that they need to grow up is unnecessary. They just lack chemistry and I don't see what things they have in common. So even if they both changed to suit the other, I still wouldn't like it much.

Hey 'yall (doing my best Paula Deen [Foot Network] imitation) )

I was just wondering if there are ANY pictures out there circulating that show Ron and Lavender? Just curious.

The R/L relationship was really so unnecessary. Why Rowling bothered is beyond my comprehension. Did she expect to keep giving us the never ending bickering right up to the epilogue? And, then slam bam! suddenly there they are in the epilogue, an old married couple? Unbelievable.

If Ron is so much in love with Hermione, why the heck did he hook up with Lavender? Maybe it isn't such a far fetched idea to say that Lav is really the Hogwarts bicycle and Ron wanted to get some experience before he got together with Hermione. If so, then I have to say that Ron is behaving like a cad.

And, Hermione! She diminished herself in my eyes. How could she behave so immaturely, and over Ron no less?! Had it been over Harry, I would understand. But Ron? Ewww. Not even in HBP does Ron show that he's really even the least bit interested in her ~ it isn't until book 7 that he shows an interest in her. By then, the reader knows exactly what character ends up with whom. Not a pretty picture either.

Anyways, going back to my original question - are there any photos out there that show us R/L?

Hey

Actually there is one picture that I've seen of Ron and Lavender. If you go to the home page of VTM. The most recent post on the news feed includes a ton of pictures. Towards the end of the post, there is a hyperlink titled 'Ron and Lavender'. That will bring you to the picture. Actually, better yet I'll just insert it here. In case that doesn't work though, it can be found where I said up there ^^.


-Nick
HJP

I like Krum/Hermione I'm not really sold on the idea of her with Harry, tbh... sorry (Although I do think their friendship is beautiful)

It makes me feel ill that Ron has managed to short-cut his winning over Hermy with that silly '12 ways to charm a witch book' and it disturbs me that in the epi Ron hasn't changed one iota.

I thought Hermione's attraction to Ron came out of the blue in book 6. I always thought that it was ron that liked her.

Krum is Ok, a lot better choice for Hermione than Ron, but I'm an avid Harmonian ... it's gotta be H/Hr for me.

I too think that Hermione's attraction for Ron came out of the blue. Before HBP, he was a bit of a pest, like pesky gnats and mosquitos that get in your face. She just wasn't the same girl in books 6 and 7 that she had been in the books 1 - 5. And, it had nothing to do with maturing in the later books because, in fact, she behaves very immaturely in HBP.

It sure looked to me like Rowling was heading in the direction of having Harry and Hermione get together romantically in the end, what with all of those Harmony moments in all of the books. But then HBP was published ... and ... it became a joke. Hermione and Ron? Unbelievable. But, let's just go with this ... one or two dates, but then Hermione should have noticed that Ron is just an immature, self centered buffoon. But, like I said, Hermione is not the same girl she was prior to HBP.

You know, THAT Hermione (the one in HBP) can have Ron!

Well, I guess it's OK that I double post since my last post was over two weeks ago!

I really wish the few of us non R/Hr shippers (aka H/Hr shippers) that are on Veritaserum would stop by more often and revive our Harmony threads.

* gets off soap box *


I wanted to say that on another website one of the posters used the word harrified to describe what Rowling did to Ron in DH. I think the use of that word is clever. I agree that Rowling did make Ron into a bit more of a hero, on the same level as Harry, in that last book. Especially when Ron spoke parseltongue, a real WTF moment for me!

Ron is Harry's best friend (one of them) and a side kick. He provides comic relief as far as I'm concerned. Ron is Bob (Hope) to Harry's Bing (Crosby) from those old 1940's movies. Ron is the Sundance Kid to Harry's Butch Cassidy. Are you following my train of thought here? Ron is the sidekick where Harry is the hero. I am in no way implying that Ron cannot be heroic, or that he is in any way a coward, but Rowling was wrong in placing him on equal status as Harry just so that Ron would be considered worthy of Hermione.

First and foremost (for me), R/Hr is NOT the ship. H/Hr is. And, it always will be. So, for me, elevating Ron to this level is simply uncalled for.

Anywho, I just thought that was a neat description for Ron ~ harrified.

I agree, when Ron spoke Parseltongue, it was just one more piece of evidence that convinced me R/Hr was not planned from the beginning. It seems to me that JKR changed her mind late in the series and had to advocate R/Hr late in the series by making Ron uncharacteristically brave and intelligent. I can't believe that JKR changed her mind like that and ruined the ship that was meant to be.


-Nick
HJP

As far as I am concerned that parseltongue thing never happened. I just find that really hard to believe. I suppose this was JK's way of making Ron more worthy of Hermione she even threw in Ron's concern about H elves.

Oh and let's not forget that Ron had to get advice from a "How To Charm A Witch" book in order to win Hermione over. I find it ridiculous that someone as smart as Hermione did not see through any of this! But then, it's just Rowling's way of saying that Hermione likes Ron anyway and would find all of his antics charming.

* runs to bathroom to puke *

I still can't believe that she fell for his ridiculous antics too. If I was her I would find his compliments fake; it just seems like he was complimenting everything and anything about her and not thinking about what he wants to say exactly. I can't blame Harry for all of his frustration with him. I too think that JKR dumbed Hermione a little bit so that the relationship could work.


-Nick
HJP

I think Hermione would have actually been better suited for neville than for Ron. mabey Harry but she was always kind and helpful where nevill was concerned (not including putting a body binding curse on him in PS/SS) Hermione is really clever and neville is a bit dim so i think that they would fit together. They would complete eachtoher if you know what i mean. Not Ron and Hermione though they were....lets just say not right.

I found a photo of grown up Rose Weasley.:
http://michaelscomments.files.wordpress.co...ne-pics-004.jpg

and one of a grown up Hugo Weasley:
http://www.aolcdn.com/red_galleries/carrot...-400a062807.jpg

That's what you get when you cross bushy hair with red hair!

Yeah, I know ... I'm a meanie.

Lol that is hilarious that would be enough to make me change ships if I was a Hermione and Ron shipper lol thankfully I am not though. Wow I got a really nice laugh out of that, thanks Dumbledore's Widow!

Oh wow Dumbledore's Widow! I finally get a chance to go on VTM and I come to some of my favorite threads and this is what I see-- a ridiculously looking grown up Hugo and Rose! Lol! I couldn't stop laughing! The Rose picture really got me falling over. I never expected that. That was hilarious!

Ooooh, that's mean. But it's funny. I wonder what Hermione would think. . I like the Hermione/Harry ship. They seem better for each other. Ron is more compatible with.....Um, well no one. I always imagine him as a person who never marries. I don't know why, I just did....

I don't know if I prefer Harry/Hermione or Harry with someone else--since there are many possibilities--but I just can't see Hermione with Ron. I know they say opposites attract, but that opposite? He practically is the epitome of everything she doesn't like (in a romantic partner, anyway, I know they make great friends). But I mean...if he could, he probably would have blown off school entirely except for maybe the things that interested him. He made fun of her preoccupation with the house elves. He was always making fun of her and her studying. People don't change that much. It's almost like Hermione became a giggling, blushing school girl and went completely contrary to herself. I really don't think that JKR did mean to put the two of them together in the beginning because she practically made it so the two would hate each other. Well, not hate exactly, but that their differences would definitely preclude any getting together of the two in a romantic fashion. You know what I mean? That they should just be friends. They're too much opposites. I'm kind of like Hermione, at least in the bookishness areas of her personality, and I know that if I ended up with someone like Ron, I would go bonkers within a month.

Hey,

I've never liked Hermione/Ron, it just doesn't seem natural. I think a proper 'ship has to. . flow, if you get me? I think it should be natural and not exactly effortless but it shouldn't take up all your energy. I'm not saying you don't have to work but, I think a true 'ship will just click into place. The two people should fit each other and I just don't think Hermione and Ron do.

I really love Hermione/Draco. Draco is such a misunderstood character, his family background is very unfortunate and he is always trying to prove himself to his father. I think he just doesn't get enough love, he ties to act 'tough guy' at school because he longs for people to see him, to acknowledge him. In my opinion Hermione is his perfect balance. She could love im the way he needs, and deserves, to be loved.

I use to like Harry/Hermione, but I think they are too close as friends, it would reck their friendship and besides, Harry and Ginny are meant to be.

I really don't think Ron deserves Hermione, he's such a prick sometimes, and he's not smart enough for her. Hermione evens Ron out, but Ron just doesn't compliment Hermione. I don't mean the 'You look great!' compliment, but the fact that his character doesn't compliment hers.

I'm not sure if I'm making sense, but anywho those are my confusing thoughts.

Lauran

x o x

The only reason Hermione and Ron became a couple was because Rowling wanted Harry with Ginny to be a couple. So, that left Hermione with Ron. I'm sure that she had long ago decided that these were the relationships that were going to be, and she never swayed from that frame of mind.

It just baffles me that Rowling would think that a relationship, like the one between Hermione and Ron, would be a lasting one. To have them a married couple, a happily married one at that - well, it just goes against the grain of all common sense. If you know what I mean? Nope. Sorry, but I just never understand R/Hr at all!

IMO, and in the opinion of many other readers, Hermione was clearly meant for Harry. The relationship that Harry and Hermione had is in canon. Rowling wrote all of these great interactions between H/Hr. There were many wonderful moments between them, even the interactions where Harry wasn't so nice to Hermione. I realize that it wasn't all blissful between them. H/Hr was a lot more realistic than R/Hr (and much more so than H/G could ever be!) . Rowling later admitted that "it could have gone that way", meaning H/Hr.

R/Hr has never made any sense, and never will.

You know, the only reason I think I'm biased about this ship is because I'm a devoted (and partially obsessed) Snape/Hermione shipper. But, putting my wacky ship aside, I don't like this ship for multiple reasons.

Hermione is such a bright, snarky character. She can be a strong, independent character, and she sometimes can be a bit head strong. You need to be a very mature person to be with Hermione, she can be a lot to handle between her knowledge and attitude. I really don't think Ron can do this. Hermione comes off as very outgoing and sure of herself, personality wise. She knows she is smart, and she knows she is a brilliant witch. Ronald, on the other hand is nothing like this.

Ron is awkward, immature, and just plain annoying in my eyes. Throughout the series he was always my least favorite Weasley, he always seemed to get too easily offended, tried to hard to impress everyone around him, and was the one character who's personality changed so much throughout the series. But, he always bothered me.

Like in DH when he leaves Harry and Hermione when things get too rough. He does it then, why wouldn't he do it again in his marriage? What if trying to support his children, his wife, and eventually his elderly parents, he just leaves when things get too tough? Is he a person to depend on? No, he's not.

People always say "opposite's attract" - but I really just can't see how Ron and Hermione ever got together. Yes, it was evident that Ron had a long time crush on Hermione, but she never showed a love interest in him, until the very last book. It's just, I don't like Ron, and they don't seem like a very realistic character. Hermione needs a strong minded, intelligent man in her life - and Ron just isn't that.

Sam

Good to see that the best threads around here are still very much alive...

You know, the past few months have taught me a great deal about writing, editing, readers' perceptions of characters etc etc. The one thing that was really driven home to me is how important it is for your readers to like and believe in your characters. As I neither like nor believe in Harry/Ginny or Ron/Hermione, I guess that JKR fell short somewhere along the line. It's hard for me to pinpoint where exactly, but I think it's got a lot to do with the true friendship and closeness that Harry/Hermione seemed to share which, I felt, was sadly lacking between R/Hr. I suppose I've just never been much for this I hate you/I love you rubbish, but there you go...it appeals to some people, and whatever floats your boat, I guess.

Are there any good fanfics where R/Hr get divorced?

Actually Louise, I do know of one where Ron cheats on Hermione with another man and they split up. Ron never struck me as being homosexual, but it's still a nice read. You might not enjoy the next part though where Hermione ends up with Lucius Malfoy.

I can't stand Ron and Hermione. She is way to good for him. The idea of the brilliant Hermione Granger breeding with Ron is unthinkable. They never even seemed to have the closeness that Harry and Hermione had. It seems like forced sexual tension. I think it's just there because JK put it there. In real life I cannot believe that Hermione would have been drawn to Ron in that way. I guess JK thought it be a good idea. Hermione is so mature beyond her years she needs an older man. Maybe not Snape's age, although I can see them working out, but older. I imagine she would want intellectual stimulation from whoever she was with. Forgive me for not thinking Ron can provide that.

I can't think of anything that hasn't already been said. You all said everything so well. They say it is Harry/Hermione shippers who don't pay attention in the books, but I think Ron/Hermione shippers are just as guilty.

I think I read a fanfic somewhere where Ron was abusive and she ended up with...ummm...Draco and someone else. It was some kind of partnership.

But you're right, Louise. Ron and Hermione just never seemed close even in their friendship. It was really more Harry and Hermione. I don't know if I could ever see Ron abusing Hermione (I don't think she would stand for it, do you?), but still...their relationship just does not seem like it would work out at all.

I want to read a story where Ron is abusive. I could see him doing it if he got insecure enough. He spends his entire childhood trying to live up to his older brothers, and now his woman is much more intelligent and generally superior to him. That would suck. I could see him downing some firewhisky and going off on Hermione. I don't think she would give him a chance to do it more than once though.

OMG acidpop - that is just too funny!!! But, you know what, I think you are on to something!! I just don't know what JKR was thinking - how did she ever envisage the "sidekick" ending up with the girl????!!!!

What a monumental [Mod Deleted] by an otherwise genius. I hope she doesn't read these anti ship postings!!

Do you think she does?? (hehe!)

A bit but, I'd like to answer your question.

From what I had heard, Rowling did visit a couple of websites a few years ago, but they were the pro-Heron and pro-Chocolate sites. (I guess this is why she may have felt that R/Hr and H/G were likable ships. ) Anyhoo ... the sites she went to were Mugglenet and The Leaky Cauldron. But, I don't know that Rowling ever came to Veritaserum, and, I'm pretty sure she didn't visit any of the pro-Harmony sites. I could be wrong, perhaps she did. Of course, if she had, it was all under the disguise of being someone else.

You may recall that after book 6, Rowling invited the webmaster of Mugglenet (Emerson Spartz) and the webmistress of The Leaky Cauldron (Melissa Anelli) and the three of them discussed HBP. This is the interview where Spartz referred to those of us who don't ship R/Hr or H/G as "delusional". It caused a lot of furor, hurt feelings and aggravated the shipping wars. All I can say is what goes around comes around. I've wondered how Spartz (and Anelli for that matter) took Rowling's comment, "it could have gone that way", referring to H/Hr?

Now that her HP series is over with, I doubt she visits ANY of the sites.

LOL true enough--the sidekick of the hero usually doesn't end up with the girl. Everyone knows the hero is supposed to end up with the girl! Or just...anyone else...I don't know. I think Harmony would have been good, too, but I know that Hermione should have ended up with almost anyone else but Ron. I agree with acidpop: Hermione and Ron never had the same kind of closeness that Harry and Hermione did. At all. It seemed like they were just friends, and that's all they were...and that it was primarily because of Harry. Like he was the connecting force.

Based on that, it doesn't even make sense for Ron and Hermione to be together.

I don't like this ship at all. They fight too much.

But when I started to hate this ship must have been when I started to like H/Hr (and that was when I watched the first film... I was like five o.o).

Btw, I think there's something wrong with me. In CoS I saw many R/Hr moments(but I didn't like them of course)... maybe I'm ill? Or maybe it is my mother(I thought she was a Harmonian but... no. She is a OBHWF-shipper! ). She could have done something to me so that I would see those R/Hr moments.

'Cause I didn't see any of them in Philosopher's Stone. And I didn't talk to her about H/Hr before I read it.

Oh my god! I'm going off topic. Not good.

Okay back to R/Hr. Why why why did it end up with R/Hr? I don't think I would want to be together with someone I always fight with. o.o

It's funny that many people, who don't ship R/Hr claim to have seen R/Hr moments. I have never seen any such moments. They have always been just a boy and a girl who really don't like each other much and enjoy annoying the other. I don't believe that either one of them (Ron or Hermione) liked each other in the earlier books. In fact, I think that if it weren't for Harry, they wouldn't give each other the time of day.

By the time GoF rolled around, Rowling had already made her intentions pretty clear that it wasn't going to be H/Hr. I recall an interview with Katie Couric (I was under the impression she favored Harmony!) ~ way back when, I don't remember at what point in time ~ when Couric said something about Harry and Hermione getting together, or something like that. Rowling looked at her with this expression on her face that essentially said, "you're kidding right?". Rowling all but turned her nose up (as if she had smelled a skunk) and said (I paraphrase), "Harry and Hermione? You really think so?" and Couric chickened out and said, almost with embarrasment, "Um ... no." When I heard that interview, I knew Rowling's intentions and I was appalled. Even so, we get so many Harmony moments in the next book, OotP, and continue clear through to the 7th book. Go figure. Anyways, by the time HBP rolls around, it's painfully obvious that it's going to be R/Hr. Still I have to ask, "WHY?!"

R/Hr has always been like oil and water. They just don't mix! Ron, The Class Clown with Hermione, the One Most Likely to Succeed! R/Hr - a true OXYMORON.

This pairing does seem very unlikely, though there are a lot of precursors in the canon.

Hermione is very mature in the way that only children often are when they more or less become equal partners with their parents. Still, she is constantly tormented by self doubts and is sure that she will fail (bk 1 sorting ceremoney, bk 3 DADA exam, bk 5 OWL post-mortems, bk 6 waiting for the OWL results). She also goes off in a huff with long periods of silence when she has a disagreement with someone. A relationship with Hermione is certain to be a stormy one with periods of happiness interspersed with periods of unpleasantness.

Hermione is also how JKR saw herself as a young girl. In a sense, Hermione is JKR's avatar in the literary world of Harry Potter. Harry, on the other hand is JKR's creation. He is her little boy. Hermione, the avatar, assumes the role of "The Guide" to Harry Potter, the creation. If you notice through the books, Hermione acts as the older (and often exasperated) sister to Harry. I think that to JKR, a romantic relationship between Harry and Hermione would be incest.

Pairing Hermione with Ron just seems as JKR wanting to balance things out. It could be that she figured that Ron, with little emotional depth and used to being second fiddle to everything, could handle Hermione's insecuriities and long drawn-out snits. To agree with everyone in here, Ron and Hermione do not make "a cute couple". They are total opposites (though the same could be said for Arthur and Molly).

You could pair Hermione with just about anyone good and moral in the canon except Harry, and it would be believable.

Like I said before, I did NOT see any "precursors", as you say, in canon. about a relationship between R/Hr. I was never anti-Ron or anti-R/Hr when I was reading the books, so it isn't as if I was deluding myself in not seeing a romance building up between them. I just saw them as two people who didn't like the other, and, as I said already, if it wasn't for Harry they would not have formed a friendship at all. I still see it that way, but, because of HBP and DH, I realize it isn't the way I interpreted it.


Oh, I wouldn't go so far as to say that a relationship with Hermione would be as you have described above. People change. Hermione might have matured and be less self centered, for lack of a better word.


I disagree with what you're saying here. Harry may be Rowling's creation, but she based him on someone. IMO, that someone might have been her first husband. I don't know much about her first marriage, or why it fell apart, other than it is no different than many other first marriages that fall apart under circumstances the couples cannot deal with. People fall out of love every day. To me, H/Hr is the ideal romantic relationship for them. If anything, I see H/G as incest. But, this is for another thread.


You may be right about Rowling's reasoning about pairing Ron with Hermione. But, I believe that it's what she intended all along. She wanted OBWF in the end. And, even though I personally didn't see R/Hr, we find out in interviews that this is what she wanted. IMO, Ron is NOT the ONLY one that could have handled Hermione's insecurities. Ron himself had insecurities. It's like the adage, "two wrongs don't make a right". Even so, for a marriage to have lasted the number of years as R/Hr's marriage supposedly has, is not realistic. Many couples would have divorced long before. But, then there are the two children ....


Sorry, but I fully disagree. Harry and Hermione both will mature, setting aside their insecurities. IMO, they are each others soul mates.

Since, this is the Venom: Ron/Hermione thread, and I would be remiss NOT to end my post by saying that Ron and Hermione are not a good fit, and certainly not for the long haul.

Well actually, I just saw them in the second book. (but I also saw H/Hr.) Now in the third book... even though I am just at the beginning(I'm reading the boggart-chapter) I have seen maaaany H/Hr moments. But no R/Hr moments.

By the way, in the second book. I only saw 2(or was it one?) R/Hr moment. It was when Draco said that Hermione was a filthy mudblood.

By the way, I have watched some H/Hr videos on youtube. Made by R/Hr-shippers(they said they only did that because there weren't so many R/Hr-scenes but I think they secretely think H/Hr is much better .). Also... there was a comment on a H/Hr-video. And the comment was made by a R/Hr shipper.

He/She said that he/she had changed his/her mind and that he/she thought H/Hr was much better than R/Hr.

I am wondering what everyody's opinion would be on all of these relationships if the movies had never been made and the only clues that people had were what was in the written canon.

The opinions would be varied, as they are now. We would still have readers who do not interpret the interactions between Ron and Hermione as being precursors to romance. And, the same can be said for H/Hr by the R/Hr shippers. Of course, by the time we get to book 6 we realize what the intentions of the author are and, like it or not, the relationships have at that point been set in canon.

My problem is that although I clearly saw H./Hr from the start and I saw R/Hr as nothing more than annoying bickering between two "friends", why did the author continue with the H/Hr "moments"? Let's face it, these type of "moments" should have been between R/Hr if Rowling wanted to let the reader know that they were going to be linked romantically. Yet, Rowling kept giving us these "moments" between Harry and Hermione ~ even in DH! As for example, in the "you are bonded for life" scene. Rowling should have had Hermione look at Ron instead. It's just irritating to me that Rowling kept on giving those type of interactions between H/Hr when it was clear that by the 6th and 7th books the reader knew her intentions of pairing off Ron with Hermione and Harry with Ginerva.

Well, it's been said many times before, Rowling stinks at romance, and R/Hr (and H/G for sure! ) is an example of it!

If the movies had never been made then... I would have no clue what Harry Potter was. Lol XD. 'Cause I was like five when the first movie came out. I watched it.. and that's when I started ship H/Hr(I did it because Hermione was my favorite and the movie was about Harry so... Hey! I was FIVE.)

And then in the second movie there was the hug and I was convinced H/Hr was gonna happen...

Until, years later when I got DH(my mother thought it was the first book ) and I have always been curious so... I read the epilogue and was like "WHAT?!!!".

harry is the only thing that brought hermione and ron to be friends. ron and hermione never seemed like really good friends to me, they never really got along, and were constantly putting each other down. ron isn't good enough for hermione. hermione is serious, intelligent, and confident while ron is a goofball, not too intelligent and insecure. they just dont mix. harry and hermione have always had a closer relationship, and people can say its more like a brother-sister relationship, but i have a brother and we do not act like that to each other. i believe that hermione and ron act more like brother and sister than harry and hermione. harry and hermione have soooo much more in common and can relate to each other. ron isn't up to what i believe hermione's standards would be, i believe harry lives up to her standards and that they could have a very good, long relationship if it was given the chance.

R/H: not meant to be(IMO)

bolding mine

Not just your opinion, it's also mine (and many other Harmonians) opinion.

I too saw the interaction between Hermione and Ron as one between two squabbling siblings. I never took their relationship seriously and was dumb founded when I realized that Rowling was steering them into a romantic couple.

To me, Ron was nothing more than the comic relief of the trio and Harry and Hermione should have been the ones to be brought together romantically. I never really understood why Rowling felt that it was R/Hr. I never understood why she had to have OBWF. Oh well, she has since admitted the error of her ways and has recently said that it could have gone H/Hr.

The relationship between H/Hr is nothing like one between siblings because if siblings behaved like H/Hr do in the books and movies, it would be undeniable incest! As it is, to me at least, Ron and Hermione behave like brother and sister and to marry them off is incest! Ewwwwwww! Ron/Hermione makes my skin crawl!

OK so I saw HBP...and I saw it with one of my friends who has never read the books, and he was completely floored when he found out that Hermione liked Ron. He just couldn't believe it! He thought the whole time that they were brother and sister, or at least had that brotherly/sisterly relationship thing going. So he was shocked, and he definately thought that Hermione would at least like someone on her own level. Eventhough he knew it was never gonna be Harry and Hermione, Ron and Hermione was never something he saw or thought of. So much for those hints, huh.

I'm curious as to what your friend thought about Harry and Ginny? If he did comment about that ship, then maybe you can report it on the Venom: Harry/Ginny thread (I'm assuming he didn't care much for that ship either! )

Did your friend really say that Hermione should have settled for someone "on her own level"? That's cold, but I have to agree with that assessment! The movies seem to have made Ron out to be a bit of a joke and foolish. Not so sure Rowling wanted him portrayed that way, but hey, she didn't stop WB from filming him that way!

Why did your friend feel that it "was never gonna be H/Hr"? Was it because he had already gotten wind that it wasn't that way in the books, or did he see just friendship between H/Hr from watching the movies? (hope it was the former!)