Hermione....

[Anna Black]

I was a 16 year-old girl once, a mere 5 years ago. My friends and I were probably pretty annoying. I do remember constantly listening to my friends about their latest crushes. And, any time that we were around girls outside our close-knit group, every girl would try to one up the other. In 11th grade I sat with all boys at lunch. I got tired of girls. It was very relaxing and made me feel all superior sitting with a bunch of guys whose idea of a good time was flicking teachers off behind their backs, like it was cool or something. No competition. Everyone was an idiot and nobody cared. Teenage girls are annoying, it's in their nature. I was one, too.

But, I still love Hermione. I did wish she would just suck it up and at least start talking to Ron again half-way through the book, and it was really unecessary for her to give Harry the "I told you so" at the end, after all he'd been through. She could have just let that slide, but she fears being wrong. She fears anyone being a step ahead of her. I was kind of like that, not that extreme. I thought my smarts were all that I had. It was a real blow to see anyone surpass me.

But, both Hermione and Ron have a problem admitting things. They value their pride too much. So many times they could have gotten together if someone made a move.

[Dacre]

I have to agree with Anna, I think Herm. and Ron act exactly like I'd expect. Obvious to all that they fancy each other, they just do nothing about it.
Ginny didn't help tho. making Ron basically want to have a girlfriend to kiss. At least H admitted to herself she only went to the party with some-one else to make Ron jealous.
My hazy memory of teenage years reminds me that it was all v. confusing, but I think JKs made it pretty realistic. (in terms of characterisation)

[thestral]

Whiney? Having lots of silly feelings she won't admit to herself - like jealousy? believing she's always right? Control freak? Condescending? Annoying? Moody?
Sounds like almost ALL girls / women to me....

*runs away*

yeah you better run little boy...

Darce if ur a bloke ur v brave, if ur female i agree and think its v big of u to admit it!

oh what a funny male joke hahaha..not.

well let's see, ron, stupid? never!?! because the male condition is not that of a crippling inability to think about anything else but the testorone that controls their actions rather than their brain, which is considerably further north than their errr, how shall i say 'primary brain'? and their brain like the cold north pole is rarely visited.

[Dacre]

See - I said girls were whiney, moody, believing they are always right - I should have added quick to anger at blokes.
lol.
I never said us blokes were any better (particuarly as teenagers)
Besides, getting back to the threas, 'cos girls are better at being sensible, I'd expect Hermione to swallow her pride (not quite as pig-headed and no way as foolish as Ron) and sort it out.
Herm easily spots where Harry went wrong with Cho, and advises Ginny well, but can't take her own advice. Shame, I'd have expect her and Ron to be together now. What I suspect happened somewhere is they kissed at some point (Ron seems to want to say this when Ginny has a go at him) but then they just felt awkard about it. Harry and Ron don't exactly talk a lot about this sort of thing do they, so we wouldn't have heard about it.

[Tanuki]

Dacre, just stop talking. You're not doing the gender any good. Honestly, it's like the man said "best to keep your mouth shut and let them think you a fool than open your mouth and prove them right." And thestral, I shall ignore your condacending little diatribe; you may think so little of men, but history is not without examples of the glaring idiocies of women as well. In the end, we are all controlled by their impulses; some are just better in control, thats all.

[Froggs]

Hmmm interesting Dacre, I agree that Ron and Herm may have "experimented" and then just felt too awkward to continue. It would be the "normal" course of action for two teens. Personally, although the Ginny/Harry thing was cute and lifted the tension a bit, the Ron and Herm thing is a tad old. I felt that Hermy was a bit too eager to be right in this book, a bit embaressing really, but I supose it was natural given her age.

[Stumpy]

herm is used to being right and everything coming easy. but this is different as it involves the unknown that cant be looked up in a book! I dont think the ron and herm thing is old, frustrating from our point of view, esp as harry doesnt sort them both out! Hopefully he will at the wedding!

p.s. Thestral i am sorry couldnt resist, and didnt u find it a little bit funny

[thestral]

p.s. Thestral i am sorry couldnt resist, and didnt u find it a little bit funny

apology accepted. and yes i did find it a little funny. just felt the need to get a shot back in there. can't let down the side seeing as no one else is defending our gender.....*looks rund at all the other girls wonderingly*

but i would actually be among those girls who finds other girls tiring, bitchy, and a bit too sensitive at times. i like the way you can banter with guys. and if you have an argument, you punch it out then 5 minutes later both of you are bleeding, shake hands and it's in the past. but with girls.... nooooo it's glossed over with a veneer of 'it's alright, I'm so sorry' and hugs, while deep down their grudge is simmering and simmering away until one day 20 years later you borrow a coat and suddenly they bring up an incident you can hardly remember as proof that you are the worst person in the world.

besides wasn't my joke not even a little funny either?

[Fweegal]

That's so true about the difference between male and female arguments.

But i think that's partially because girls have much deeper and more emotional friendships than guys do.
Makes 'em better friends, even if a little highly strung...

I'm going to be hanged.

[thestral]

no it's true, girls are so much more afraid of hurting each other's feelings, because the stakes are higher, they've invested so much in their friendship. usually you've told them absolutly everything about you, and if something happens, it hurts so much more, because you always feel a bit hurt and betrayed by the person you've trusted more than everyone else.

the worst times for me have been when i've falled out with my friends, it's takes so much work to repair the damage, so you try to avoid falling out if you can at all costs. i would rather fall out with every person in school (although i'm not there anymore, yay!!!) than with my 3 best friends.

falling out with your friends always has the inevitable hours long talks about the whys and the in and the outs of what happened, with hours of analysis of yourself and your friendship. god it's so tiring. why can't you just give each other a pat on the back and go back to your game of football?

[Fweegal]

Oh you mean like guys?
Yeah it's handy alright. A beer can fix any rift!

Guys make friends with people they get on with, girls seem to make friends with people they have a real affinity with. It seems much more spiritual than the very down to earth male friendships!

And the difference between a girl hanging out with a friend and someone she is pretending to be friends with can be very entertaining.

[Lone_Buck]

My friends all seem to be about ready to rip each other's heads off, it's actually a little entertaining, but i'm caught in the middle. Good news is, i get two bowling nights a week.

[redhead_723]

I was 16 only 2 years ago and though I hope I wasnt that bad I'm pretty sure that I was. It's just a phase that girls go through, they get moody and annoying its just a fact of life. I did notice that she was annoying me more than usual in this last book though and I'm sure that that was just because she is now growing up and her life is changing and all that.

[Froggs]

As a teacher, I'd like to say that boys and girls are equally annoying at age 16 and both genders have bizarre friendship rituals.

[Eos]

but i would actually be among those girls who finds other girls tiring, bitchy, and a bit too sensitive at times. i like the way you can banter with guys. and if you have an argument, you punch it out then 5 minutes later both of you are bleeding, shake hands and it's in the past. but with girls.... nooooo it's glossed over with a veneer of 'it's alright, I'm so sorry' and hugs, while deep down their grudge is simmering and simmering away until one day 20 years later you borrow a coat and suddenly they bring up an incident you can hardly remember as proof that you are the worst person in the world.

Well, on the one hand you complain about someone feeding prejudices and on the other hand you do it yourself...

Coming of age is the worst time if you're looking back!!! (And the bes at the same time...) I really appreciate my parents much more than I used to now as I'm teaching people who are 16 years old Sorry to all the people out there who are around that age...
Hermione is a bit difficult sometimes, but she has always been like that, hasn't she? But look at Harry in OoP (HORRIBLE!!!) and look at him now. I'm quite sure that Hermione will learn how to controll herself! If you compare the HBP-Hermione with the one in PS...?!?!