There’s really no topic that hasn’t been tackled when it comes to the Harry Potter fandom, but there’s a sense of apprehension when bringing up the idea of Ron and Hermione breaking up. This is because the fans took to the idea of their couple early in the series and haven’t let it go. However, there’s no denying these two had quite a few problems they needed to tackle and that it wasn’t all smooth sailing.
In this list, we’ve considered Ron and Hermione’s friendship as their relationship, seeing as they were pretty much together the whole time without admitting it. As for the “break-up,” this means the issues this couple had, not that we mean they’re a definite deal-breaker. With that in mind, here are six reasons why Ron and Hermione ruled, and four reasons they weren’t all that great together.
Best: Their Romantic Tension
It’s no fun following a couple that’s all smiles and no chase that precedes their eventual coupling, and Ron and Hermione made for an entertaining pair to “ship” for as we saw their various twists and turns. This was strengthened due to their immense romantic tension.
Through all the fights, the disappointments, the lingering stares, it was obvious this pair wasn’t even aware they were attempting to simmer the burgeoning feelings they had for one another. You couldn’t find any couple that had tension tangible enough to feel radiating from within the novels’ pages.
Break-Up: Ron Ruined Their Wedding
Yes, we’re not fond of the number of changes JK Rowling has made or endorsed in the last decade or so, but Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is confirmed to be canon, so there’s nothing we can do about it.
In this story, we found out that Ron had gone on such a drinking binge on the day of his wedding to Hermione that he made quite a farce of things during the event. He was so intoxicated that Ron couldn’t even recall his wedding years later, pretty much ruining Hermione’s day as a bride and showing that he hadn’t taken the idea of marriage seriously.
Best: They’re A Total Battle Couple
Despite the times Ron and Hermione argued, they were a team when the moment called for it and took on the likes of Voldemort and his Death Eaters together. If people thought their team-up was only good when these two hadn’t gotten together, then let’s point you toward the Battle of Hogwarts, where the new couple survived the war.
Before that, Ron and Hermione worked in tandem as early as in Philosopher’s Stone, as we saw them help Harry get past all the traps to confront Voldemort. When it comes to pressure situations, these two gel perfectly.
Break-Up: All Of Their Constant Arguments
We’ve seen couples in other media too who argued and stayed together, only for them to break up because of their constant arguments. That’s because at some point all that fighting has got to get you. On some level, things should be easy and not a conflict every time.
Ron and Hermione never finished their bickering even after they got married according to JK Rowling, which apparently even led to them needing marriage counseling. It must be exhausting for them to have to scream and shout at each other on a daily basis, making one wonder if it’s better to just pull the plug.
Best: Their Time At Grimmauld Place
The novel and film version of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows differed over how Ron and Hermione’s time went at Grimmauld place, but both had a sweet moment that highlighted their emotional bond.
In the book, the two had stayed up all night talking after Harry had fallen asleep, who then witnessed their hands within each other’s reach, confirming they had drifted off holding hands. The film version was even cuter, as Hermione taught Ron how to play the piano as the latter looked at her with a longing stare that confirmed he had completely fallen in love with her.
Break-Up: Ron Never Apologized For His Immature Ways
Ron was insensitive toward a bunch of characters, including Neville, Luna, and Hermione as well. With her, Ron used to take it an extra notch and be vicious in his remarks that made her break down in tears more than once.
In Half-Blood Prince, Ron was at fault for treating Hermione with venom just because he found out she’d kissed Viktor Krum two whole years ago. In the end, he never even apologized for his terrible behavior toward her for the whole year—which included snogging Lavender in front of Hermione to hurt her—and Hermione simply moved on from it. We wouldn’t fault her if she brought the issue up herself years later to antagonize Ron.
Best: Hermione Needs A Funny Guy, Ron Needs A Mature Girl
People like to harp on about how Hermione was too mature for Ron, which wasn’t incorrect, but they also overlook how Ron also saved Hermione from a life of solitude. After all, he was responsible for turning her from the “nightmare” know-it-all into someone who sympathized with those who needed it most. He achieved this by teaching her the importance of laughter and taking things easy.
For Ron, Hermione was how he finally got perspective in his life and realized that house-elves really did have it bad for them as he was the reason they survived the Battle of Hogwarts. Along with that, Ron saved Harry’s life in Deathly Hallows once he fully realized his love for Hermione and that she was right all along.
Break-Up: Whenever Hermione Bossed Him Around
Ron did like to talk back to Hermione, but it’s been clear that she’s the one steering the relationship and the friendship that came before. In their daily lives, Ron’s role was to listen to whatever Hermione said and only occasionally have his way.
This kind of behavior really isn’t healthy in the long-run, so we hope Hermione didn’t tend to dominate Ron’s habits as their relationship progressed. Under usual circumstances, it’s preferable to let go of a significant other like this if it doesn’t allow one to be who they really are. As Hermione became the Minister for Magic, it’s unlikely she grew out of her bossy nature towards Ron.
Best: Ron Fighting Bellatrix For Her
Forget all other heroic characters, because Ron made the ultimate move by throwing himself in the face of danger for the love he had for Hermione. After all, he was hopelessly outmatched against Bellatrix and the entire Malfoy family but still went head-on against them to save Hermione from being tortured.
This was confirmation enough that Ron would never give up on Hermione, even if it meant he’d die along with her. To Hermione’s credit, she refused to divulge any details on Ron and the others, which is incredible considering Bellatrix was using the worst spell in creation to torture her.
Best: Their First Romantic Interaction
Some things are just so perfect that they can overcome whatever negative qualities one can come up with, and Ron and Hermione’s first romantic moment trumps in this regard. In the novel version, Hermione realized how much Ron had truly changed when he voiced his concern for the house-elves, while he was simply elated at finally having his dream realized when Hermione ran over to embrace him.
We could speculate scenarios where these two could break up, but the truth is moments like their first kiss highlight how Ron and Hermione would always carry a longing for the other no matter how bad any situation gets. The fact that they got together at a time when monsters and Death Eaters were parading Hogwarts tells you enough that not even the prospect of death mattered when these two were in love.
