Back again...

Until Dawn 2??!!

Until Dawn 2??!!

Based on everything I see from this ship I have one major issue especially when Hermione is interpreted as anything other than white (usually Jewish, Black or even both).

I hate that the concept of it ignores the perfectly respectable love interest she already has in canon! But not in the way you might think.

Draco outright bullies and abuses Hermione on the basis of her birth status. Being Muggle Born and therefore in his mind not being enough of a witch. Lots of awful prejudice stuff happening between Draco and Hermione. He literally uses a slur against her at one point. I get he has the ability to grow and it's implied to be his path at the end of the books but I guess my issue is the way Hermione is always used to "save" Draco from this way of thinking in so many fanworks that I take issue with.

Let's look at Ron and Hermione.

Ron and Hermione I'll admit do suffer from some gross outdated sitcom tropes as far as many m/f relationships are concerned. Constant jealousy and bickering and other such things. But when things start to look bad Ron is the FIRST person to go to bat for Hermione! He attacks Malfoy for using said slur against Hermione (though it backfires), is the first person to remind Hermione how great she is when she gets down on herself, talks highly about her to others, recognizes when he messes up and tries to be a better man for her. Literally that last two books Ron's character arc is him becoming a better man in part FOR Hermione. For him to finally step up and be the man Hermione DESERVES! It is cited as one of the reasons he cleans up his act and it is only AFTER Ron shows he has changed and CARES about those society considers his inferiors (the house elves) that she kisses him! Ron PROVES himself as having grown and learned. Ron worked fucking HARD against his own internal bias because he was inspired to do so by Hermione.

There are two important differences between this narrative and most of the fanworks I see do this with Draco and Hermione though. The first is Hermione is not an active participant in Ron's growth even if she is a factor. Hermione is not trying to fix Ron unlike what so many fan do with Draco. Hermione is living her own life, on her own journey and developing as a character in her own right. She is an inspiration to the change Ron goes through not some life couch that see him through it start to end. The second is while ignorant to his actions early on Ron does not start at a place of abusing Hermione and that is a big problem here. It's putting Hermione directly in the position of an abused lover saying "But I can change him!" which to me will always be a little bit messed up.

This is not a shipper thing either. This is wanting a female character (one easily interpretated and accepted as a WOC) with a white male character who treats her badly when she has a love interest that treats her well in canon. She has a love interest who goes through those same beats of learning and growing and changing his bias without starting at a place of abusing her! It's the same story that people WANT to give Draco and Hermione but is unneeded because it already exists with her and Ron!