Ron and Hermione, no questions asked. I don’t know whether it’s because I identify so much with this pairing, or if it’s just due to the fact that I endlessly love both characters individually as well as the interactions between them – either way, their relationship is easily the best in the books (it was especially far better than the weak Ginny-Harry connection).
Ron never quite measures up to anyone around him, or at the very least, he never excels compared to everyone else. He’s not stupid by any means, but he doesn’t care enough about school to put in the effort needed to really succeed. While his brothers Fred and George were the same way, they at least were renowned for their brilliant creativity and humor; Ron, while funny, is never distinguished as a comedic genius either. Instead, he gets trapped in the doldrums of being average. The truth is that they both are forever trying to prove themselves and measure up to those that look down on him: for Ron, his competition comes in the form of his many successful siblings; for Hermione, the objective is to prove that a Muggleborn can outshine any Pureblood in magical competence. But still, when held next to the brilliant flame of cleverness and intelligence that is Hermione, one has to wonder (as Ron did, which was revealed by the locket Horcrux) why someone like Hermione would choose someone like Ron. It’s clear where the attraction would lie on his end, but what could she possibly see in him? She loves him because he’s Ron, and for once in his life, being Ron – just plain old Ron – is something extraordinary enough to capture the heart of the girl of his dreams.
When it comes down to it, Ron and Hermione are two puzzle pieces that fit perfectly together – they balance each other, compensating for one another’s flaws and tempering each other’s tendencies to get carried away with ideas, plans, and obsessions. Ron’s genuineness and Hermione’s awkwardness, Ron’s hot-headedness and Hermione’s thoughtful reasoning. The list goes on. Hermione’s reliance on by-the-book intellect and rejection of anything that she deems “irrational” slows down the trio, and it’s often Ron who enthusiastically embraces illogical concepts like the Hallows and harps on Hermione about their possible validity. Just as Hermione forces a very begrudging Ron to expand his mental capacity (how shocked was everyone when he rattled off the Principle Exceptions to Gamp’s Law of Elemental Transfiguration?), Ron pries open Hermione’s mind and exposes it to things that may seem unreasonable (growing up in a household of wizards, it’s indeed rare that there is anything that Ron doesn’t seem willing to accept). It’s also interesting how, when the pressure is on, their roles often switch seamlessly: Ron came up with the plan to retrieve basilisk fangs from the Chamber of Secrets during the final battle (even though that entire scenario bothers me endlessly); it’s Hermione who gets hysterical and over-emotional throughout Hallows and Ron becomes the calm and soothing one; during the midair fight in the opening scenes of Hallows, Ron’s skillful wand-work saves Tonks’ life (and warrants him a shocked compliment from Hermione… always the tone of surprise!).
Here’s the thing: Ron is emotionally ignorant, especially when it comes to Hermione. I don’t know whether it’s because Hermione was never terribly open about her own feelings, or if it’s due to the fact that he’s just such a guy. How many times did he accidentally make Hermione cry or act as the impetus for her to want to try out some new curses? And, of course, vice-versa… Hermione berated Ron constantly for seven years, or else would ignore him entirely when he pissed her off. She preferred to strain their friendship at various times instead of revealing how she felt about Ron. But when push comes to shove (and as both of them matured), the depths of their concern about each other comes to light: Hermione’s relief when Ron arrives unscathed after the Seven Potters fiasco, Ron’s inconsolable breakdown when he can hear Hermione being tortured by Bellatrix in Malfoy Manor, Hermione crying for weeks after Ron abandoned her and Harry, Ron’s immediate attempt to return to the two of them after realizing what a mistake it was to leave. This is the kind of relationship that I appreciate the most – I don’t think that endless public declarations of love are necessary to prove one’s adoration, and I don’t think that loving someone means never fighting with him or her; in my opinion, the most perfect description of the relationship that I hope for is falling asleep holding hands when you’re both tired, scared, and lonely (and on the run from Death Eaters) without saying a word about it, just knowing that you both need each other at that moment and never doubting that you’ll both be there the next morning to face the world again.
