Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)

[jwynn.livejournal.com]

Title: Of Mudbloods and Ferrets
Author: Wynn
Spoilers: All of the books- PS to OotP
E-mail: effulgent_sun@hotmail.com
Website: Sweet Melancholy

AN: I apologize for the lateness (only a couple days, so it's not too bad, right?) I tried my best to do justice to the relationship and to Draco & Hermione, tried to show how the books support fanfic explorations of a relationship between these two. I hope I succeeded. :D


“Twitchy little ferret, aren’t you, Malfoy?”

If I had to pick one line from the five books published so far in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series to summarize the Draco-Hermione relationship, it would be that gem from Goblet of Fire. Draco’s just overheard Ron ask Hermione about her date to the Yule Ball and butts into their conversation, expressing shock that someone asked Hermione, the long-molared Mudblood according to him, to the ball. Both Ron and Harry whip around ready to defend Hermione, but she doesn’t wait for their defense. Nor does she need it. Looking past Malfoy, she waves and calls out to Professor Moody, the new fourth year DADA instructor who humiliated Malfoy earlier in the year by transfiguring him into a ferret and bouncing him up and down the Great Hall before the entire school. Upon hearing Moody’s name, Malfoy grows pale and jerks around looking for him, only to find him at the opposite end of the Great Hall still seated at the professors’ table, eating his dinner and apparently oblivious to Hermione, Draco, and their entire exchange. Hermione finishes Draco off then with the twitchy little ferret remark before walking away, laughing all the while with Harry and Ron.

With a wave of her hand and a few choice words, Hermione’s dealt with Draco Malfoy more effectively than either Harry or Ron in all of their more numerous and volatile encounters. She accomplishes this because, unlike Harry or Ron, she better controls her anger at Draco, enabling her to use her understanding of him and of what affects him against him. Hermione uses this understanding time and time again throughout the books, going toe-to-toe with Malfoy and his verbal jabs, provoking him, challenging him, surprising him, and always, in the end, causing him to respond differently to her than to anyone else. And he, in turn, provides a few puzzles of his own worth solving for Hermione, the consummate logician. The Draco-Hermione relationship is one of keen observation and cutting remarks, of continual surprises and ambiguous motivations, of passion, pride, and prejudice, all wrapped up in a bit of sly, snarky innuendo.

Twitchy little ferret, indeed.

Bossy. Diligent. Logical. Emotional. All of these characteristics describe Hermione Granger, considered by many to be the cleverest witch of her age. The only child of two Muggle dentists, Hermione first came to Hogwarts having learned all of her assigned textbooks by heart, as well as having read any other book about the magical world she could get her hands on. Hermione’s tendency to over-prepare, to go above and beyond the call of research duty to learn everything she possibly can about a given subject extends out from class assignments and exams to include her own personal crusades, favors for friends, and general knowledge about the magical world not learned in class. Good or average is not good enough for Hermione; she wants to be the best she can possibly be and will put forth the necessary effort to accomplish this goal, even if it means working herself to exhaustion by spending all of her free time in the library or by using a Time Turner to take twice as many classes as everyone else.

To Hermione, books contain everything worth knowing; more intuitive or speculative subjects like Divination hold no appeal for her. From her first encounter with Professor Trelawney’s Divination class in Prisoner of Azkaban, Hermione scoffs both the subject and Trelawney herself, declaring Trelawney to be a “fraud” and the discipline to be nothing more than a lot of “wooly… guesswork.” As evidenced by her solution of Snape’s logic problem in Philosopher’s Stone, Hermione relies upon logic and rationality to work her way through life’s problems great or small. Every effect has a cause, every cause a rational explanation, which can always be found somewhere in a book. Accordingly, in times of crisis, or in times of O.W.L. exams, the more books and the more research Hermione can pore through and study the better.

Hermione’s desire to succeed, coupled with her habit of repeatedly demonstrating her knowledge to others, earns her a know-it-all reputation among her classmates. Many also consider her to be quite bossy since she does not shy away from stating her opinion, regardless of whether people agree with her or even want to hear her opinion at all. This combined reputation of being a bossy know-it-all, as well as her disapproval for rule-breaking, inhibits Hermione’s already rather limited ability to make friends, and it’s not until a third of the way through her first year that she makes her first friends, quite possibly her first friends ever, in Ron and Harry, and this only occurs after a life-and-death fight against a Mountain Troll. But as Harry and Ron realized after that Mountain Troll fight, despite being an overbearing know-it-all who doesn’t care much for what other people think of her, Hermione cares very deeply for her friends and their opinion of her. Her estrangement from Harry and Ron in PoA causes her great emotional distress, so much so that Hagrid intervenes and speaks to Harry and Ron on her behalf. And, in GoF, Hermione bursts into tears when Ron and Harry finally reconcile after the first task. Hermione values her friends and friendships and will do everything in her power to help and protect them, even if it’s at the expense of those same friendships. If the occasion calls for it, Hermione will also make and follow through with morally ambiguous decisions to protect her friends and their causes, suggesting that the ends may be more important to her than the means (see Hermione’s blackmail of Rita Skeeter, the secret jinxing of the DA contract, and manipulating Umbridge to lure her to the Forbidden Forest in Order of the Phoenix.)

Aside from her studies and her friends, Hermione’s primary concern is S.P.E.W., the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare. Horrified to learn that Hogwarts runs as smoothly as it does because of unpaid House Elf labor, Hermione embarks on a crusade her fourth year to liberate the Elves and ensure them fair wages, days off, and all the other rights awarded witches and wizards by the Ministry of Magic. Neither the lack of enthusiasm over S.P.E.W. from her fellow classmates nor the arguments from Ron, Sirius, Fred, and George that the Elves like what they’re doing deter Hermione. Not even the declarations from the Hogwarts Elves themselves that they enjoy working for free stops Hermione’s pursuit for equal rights and equal treatment for Elves everywhere. One could assume that Hermione’s unwavering determination in securing House Elf equality originates from the prejudice she’s experienced due to her Muggle heritage, and that she pursues equality for all magical creatures, including herself, and not simply House Elves in her S.P.E.W. activities. Whatever the reason though, the idea of equality is an important one to Hermione, so important that she undertakes a massive campaign for empowerment and liberation single-handedly.

Spoiled. Ambitious. Braggart. Exhibitionist. The only child of two Pureblood wizards, Draco Malfoy first came to Hogwarts with two clear goals in mind: to be sorted into Slytherin house like the rest of his family and to befriend Harry Potter, boy hero of the wizarding world. The success of the first goal and the utter failure of the second come to define Draco for the next five years; he becomes the representative of all things Slytherin for Harry as well as his chief antagonist at school. During their stay at Hogwarts, Draco does anything he can to up-stage, humiliate, and aggravate Harry, trying at times to accomplish all three as well as getting Harry and his friends into trouble with the professors. Draco concocts and executes plans of varying complexity to accomplish these goals, plans ranging from setting Harry up for a fake duel to arranging two end-of-term ambushes on Harry and his friends. Despite all of his planning, however, Draco’s schemes usually fail, and in the notable successful exceptions, as in OotP when Draco provokes Harry into a fight, leading to Harry’s removal from the Gryffindor Quidditch team, the success is due more to Harry’s failure to control his own anger than any brilliant scheming done by Draco himself.

What Draco’s repeated attacks on Harry reveal, besides an obsessive fixation on Harry, is that he’s not afraid of confrontation. He has no qualms about taking on the famed Boy Who Lived, the one who escaped Voldemort’s clutches five different times, the boy who not only has Dumbledore as an ally but a vast majority of the Hogwarts staff, too. In fact, Draco relishes in provoking Harry and his friends and does it as often as he can. The Potter Stinks badges, the Weasley Is Our King song, flaunting Rita Skeeter’s defamatory articles in the Gryffindors’ faces, all designed to get a rise out of Harry. This is not to say that Draco is a paragon of bravery and courage, ready to take on anyone anywhere no matter what the odds. Far from it. Draco exhibits more than one moment of fear and cowardice in the books. These fears, however, aren’t groundless; they usually stem from exposure to the unknown, like the PS unicorn killer or an invisible Harry in PoA, or from previous adverse experiences such as being turned into a rat by Moody. Yet when he wants to, Draco will stand up to those more powerful than him and he will do it alone (see his defiance directed at Moody immediately post-ferret bouncing.)

When confrontations do occur, no matter what the size, Draco always tries to shift the balance of power in his direction. And the mean Draco uses most often to accomplish this power shifting is invoking the Malfoy name. Throughout the books, Draco boasts about his family’s connections and influence and brags about the supposed strength of his own influence within his family to intimidate people and to reinforce his own position within the Hogwarts social hierarchy. Draco values family, status, and power above everything else, and in his experience, these three entities are often one and the same. The status of the Malfoy family allows Draco to possess the power that he has. But, as Lucius regularly points out to him, the power that Draco does have isn’t enough. It’s not enough to beat Harry to the Golden Snitch; it’s not enough to beat Hermione in their classes; and it’s not enough to beat Ron to the position as Harry Potter’s best friend. So Draco craves more and more power and will align himself with those he believes possess it, like Dolores Umbridge in OotP, especially if these alliances reinforce his oppositional stance to Harry Potter. Once attained, Draco abuses his power to further weaken his opponents and to increase his own level of control, as he did with his bullying and random deduction of house points as a Prefect and as a member of Umbridge’s Inquisitorial Squad in OotP.

So what happens when you cross a bossy know-it-all with a power-hungry drama queen? Not quite what you’d expect, even from their first significant interaction in Chamber of Secrets. Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team learn early in CoS that Draco’s the new Slytherin Seeker and that his father bought the entire team new Nimbus 2001 brooms. Smug in the opulence of the new brooms, and in the Gryffindors’ awestruck reactions to them, Draco insults the Gryffindors' older models, particularly Fred and George’s old Cleansweep Fives. Hermione snaps back, telling Draco that none of the Gryffindors had to buy their way onto the team, insinuating that he himself had, and that they relied instead on their “pure talent.” Thrown momentarily, Draco retaliates by calling Hermione the “most insulting thing he could think of,” a “filthy little Mudblood.”

Right from the start, Hermione ignores Draco’s boasting, and his shiny new toys which have so captivated the others, and analyzes the situation to find the truth behind his big words. And she exposes it once she finds it, knowing it will cut short the Slytherins’ laughter and hit Draco where it hurts the most: his pride. Draco loses face before his peers and, to add insult to injury, loses it to an outsider, a “field invader” according to Flint, someone only remotely associated with Quidditch. Pride wounded in his moment of triumph, Draco lashes out, trying to regain the advantage given to him by the new brooms. He could’ve ridiculed Hermione’s own lack of flying skills or made fun of her appearance as he had in the past. But he doesn’t do either, instead calling her the worst name he possibly could, a name he had to have known would cause all the Gryffindors to reach for their wands in retaliation. Tempting their tempers in such a way by using the ugliest word possible reeks of desperation on Draco’s part; he obviously didn’t expect someone to see past his boasting, and he hates it when Hermione does so and wrests control of the confrontation out of his hands. So he calls her a ‘Mudblood’ to hurt her and to get the controlling power back. And it works. Somewhat. The ‘Mudblood’ mention fails to ruffle Hermione’s feathers, and the advantage only returns to Draco and the Slytherins after Ron’s retaliatory curse backfires, after which Hermione completely ignores Draco to focus on Ron and his slug problem. So right from the beginning, Hermione’s cool logic successfully faces off against Draco’s snide remarks and smug attitude, surprising him, unsettling him, and stripping him of his power and control. But as we learn in PoA, it’s not only Hermione’s cool logic that can catch Draco off his guard. An explosive temper and a wicked slap accomplish the same thing, too.

Hermione’s stress level rises steadily throughout her third year at Hogwarts. By the time she, Ron, and Harry come across Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle making fun of a grieving Hagrid, she’s worked herself to the point of exhaustion in an attempt to juggle all of her classes and their respective course loads with her Time Turner as well as from using any available free time she has to help Hagrid build a case for Buckbeak’s appeal. She’s fought steadily with Ron about Scabbers and Crookshanks since the preceding summer, and both Harry and Ron ostracize her and treat her nastily for a portion of the year due to the Firebolt fiasco. Immediately prior to encountering Draco, she learned all of her hard work was for naught as Buckbeak lost his appeal and was to be executed, and she had finally, tentatively, reconciled with Harry and Ron. Emotions running high, Hermione snaps when she hears Draco call Hagrid pathetic, and she slaps him with “all the strength she could muster.” She goes to smack him again, shrugging off Ron’s attempted restraint, but pulls her wand on him instead. Crabbe, Goyle, and Harry stand too shocked to move as Draco and Hermione face off, and after a tense moment of silence, Draco leaves with nothing more than a “C’mon” for Crabbe and Goyle.

While not the cause of her stress, Draco serves, however inadvertently on his part, as the catalyst to Hermione’s emotional release, setting off a chain of events in which she acts decidedly un-Hermione like. The confrontation between Hermione and Draco thus seems to concern Draco very little. Hermione’s actions toward him are passionate ones through which she expresses all of the pain, frustration, and anger she’s kept bottled inside since the beginning of the school year, not vicious ones designed to punish him for his rude remarks. Hermione uses Draco as the means to express all of the emotions she’s refrained from unleashing on their true targets: herself, Ron, Harry, Lucius Malfoy, and the Ministry’s Magical Creatures Committee. The fact that Draco’s remarks about Hagrid precipitate the confrontation is incidental in itself; he could have made fun of something completely unrelated to Hermione and her stress load and the end result would have been the same. Draco serves as an acceptable target for her stress, someone she would have little remorse for unleashing all her anger on, remorse she would feel if Harry or Ron had been the target of her emotional outburst instead. This is not to say that Hermione completely ignores Draco or his statements about Hagrid during the confrontation. On the contrary, she misses her Charms class afterwards because she was so caught up in thinking about him. Thus, while Hermione and her actions cause Draco to act differently than usual, Draco, in turn, also affects Hermione, to the point where she who uses a magical Time Turner to take twice the requisite number of classes misses an entire class because of Draco and doesn’t even notice it until Ron points it out to her.

As Draco affects Hermione with his behavior in PoA, Hermione once again surprises Draco with her actions. Only this time instead of Draco retaliating, he remains silent and does nothing but leave. Why the inaction? Hermione struck first, literally coming out of nowhere to slap Draco for a remark not even directed at her in its subject matter or in its intended audience. If he fights back, he could claim self-defense. If he refrains, he could get Hermione into serious trouble with the professors for an unprovoked attack on another student. But he does neither and passes up a prime opportunity to get revenge on Hermione and, by proxy Harry, for two years of perceived slights and sins. Why does he pass? One explanation could be embarrassment. Draco was attacked by a girl, by level-headed Hermione Granger, and whining about it to the professors could be seen as a sign of weakness by his fellow Slytherins. But Draco capitalizes on Buckbeak’s attack on him, which Draco himself instigates, and uses it to get the hippogriff ordered for execution and to delay the Gryffindor-Slytherin Quidditch match to more favorable weather conditions. So Draco’s not above using his own injuries, no matter how slight, as a means to his ends. But he doesn’t do so in this instance, and the reason seems to be that he was simply too shocked to act. Draco wants to be in control of situations and uses his knowledge of others and their weaknesses to maintain his control. Hermione, however, defies his expectations time and time again, and he doesn’t know how to deal with that, or with her, at all, leading to desperate maneuvers in CoS or no maneuvers at all in PoA.

Although Draco loathes being unable to predict the behavior of others, he occasionally indulges in a little unpredictable behavior himself, most notably during the chaos following the Quidditch World Cup in GoF. Harry, Ron, and Hermione flee the Weasley’s camp soon after the rioting begins and head for the relative safety of the woods. There they encounter a solitary Draco Malfoy, looking unaffected by all of the chaos. He warns the trio to keep moving, lest the rioting wizards spot Hermione, a Muggle-born witch, and include her with the captured Muggle family floating high above their heads. Draco shares a few taunts with Ron and Harry and gives one final warning to Hermione before she drags Ron and Harry away to look for a missing Fred, George, and Ginny.

Draco purposefully reveals himself to the trio. If he hadn’t spoken after Ron’s fall, they wouldn’t have known he was there at all. And once he has their attention, he warns them to keep moving or risk having Hermione kidnapped, explains to them why they should remain on the move before warning Hermione once again to keep her “big bushy head down.” All this from the boy who’s been their enemy for the past three years, who hates them as much as they hate him, whose own father is one of the masked wizards participating in the riot. So the question remains, why? Why reveal himself? Why warn Hermione to stay hidden? Back in CoS, Draco said he wanted the creature in the Chamber to kill Hermione like it killed the Muggle-born student fifty years ago. Now though he takes the time and effort to warn Hermione away from his father and fellow Death Eaters. This suggests that Draco’s feelings for Hermione changed sometime between CoS and GoF, not necessarily to romantic feelings but to something less than blind hatred. His actions later on in GoF and OotP support the theory of changed feelings, too. Hermione’s transformation for the Yule Ball stuns Draco, like the rest of the ball goers, into silence. On the train ride to Hogwarts in OotP, Draco leaves Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s compartment after Hermione tells him to do so, having ignored Harry and his similar demand a moment earlier to continue their confrontation. Later, during another confrontation with the trio in which Draco gloats about his new power as a member of the Inquisitorial Squad, Draco calls both Harry and Ron derisive names but not Hermione, referring to her only as Granger.

These changes are small but significant nonetheless due to their mere presence. Something, most likely Hermione herself, changed Draco’s initial perception of her, from one in which he throws around the word ‘Mudblood’ to hurt her to one where he nearly forgets she is a Muggle-born witch at all. In GoF and OotP, he directs his most vicious behavior to Ron and Harry, ridiculing them with badges and songs, calling them nasty nicknames, insulting their respective families, and directly threatening to harm them. To Hermione, there’s a warning about her safety, a stunned silence over her appearance, a couple Mudblood references which seem more like afterthoughts than planned insults, and some ridiculing at her appearance (laughing when a stray curse causes her teeth to grow in GoF) and demeanor (making fun of her eagerness to answer questions in class in OotP). Again, this is not to say that Draco suddenly developed a crush on Hermione sometime between CoS and GoF. But what these changes, what the lessening of the vitriol sent her way and the warning her away from his father do allow is the possibility that these sorts of romantic feelings could develop sometime in the future.

In fanfiction.

And this possibility attracts me to the relationship. What would have to happen for Hermione to fall in love with Draco? Would he have to change? If so, how? If he doesn’t change, how would Hermione deal with her feelings for him? What would it take for Draco to fall in love with Hermione? Would he even allow himself to do so in the first place? What would happen if he did? How would Harry, Ron, Lucius, and the rest of the wizarding world deal with a relationship between these two? The books provide a basis for a relationship between Draco and Hermione. Hermione doesn’t have the same ingrained hatred for Draco that Ron and Harry possess; she dislikes his antagonistic behavior of course, but most of the time she tries her best to ignore him when he’s at his most hostile. And when Draco’s not acting like a prat, Hermione treats him like she would any other student, admitting the validity of his arguments when she agrees with him, realizing he could have been hurt during the Buckbeak and ferret bouncing incidents, etc. On Draco’s part, with all of his Pureblood posturing, one would think that he’d hate Hermione more than he does Harry or Ron for her Muggle heritage, that she would be the target of his most vicious ridiculing, that he would try to maneuver her closer to Lucius and his fellow Death Eaters instead of warning her away. But he doesn’t.

So the books give a basis for a Draco-Hermione relationship, something to build upon in fanfiction, and as we’ve seen in the books, these two characters provide no shortage of conflict to explore, whether from internal conflict stemming from their respective needs for control, their conflicting moral codes, or their similar ambitious natures, or from external conflict from Harry and Ron’s hatred of Draco, his returning hatred of them, or Lucius’ influence on Draco, his Pureblood Muggle-born prejudice, and his Death Eater legacy. The relationship possibilities for Draco and Hermione in fanfiction captivate my imagination time and time again, and I love the fact that Draco and Hermione would be just as home in a witty, sexy romp or a romantic drama about loyalty and love as in an in-depth exploration of power, control, and manipulation or an angst filled tale about morality and redemption. And the fact that all are wrapped up in a bit of sly, snarky innuendo is just the icing on the proverbial cake.

Twitchy little ferrets to the end.

Some website and fanfic resources to explore: This is by no means a comprehensive list of Draco-Hermione websites or, especially, of fanfics. Just a few to get you started if you feel so inclined. :D

Websites:
ContraVeritas, all things Dramione located here.
Coloured Grey: A Fanfic Archive
DracoHermione.org
Raffy's Smut Vault, a massive list of the best NC-17 Dramione fics out there. **Edit** Link leads to Coloured Grey's Main Page, where there's a link for the Smut Vault right in the middle of the page.

Livejournal communities:
dramione
dhr_valentine A valentine fic exhange challenge. Lots of good fics here to read.
dmhg_ficathon Another challenge ficathon. Again, lots of good D/Hr fics located in the memories to read.
dmhgficexchange A community devoted to running various D/Hr fic challenges. The first round centering around Fall just ended.

Fanfics: Many thanks to the lovely folks at dramione for graciously providing me with a list of their fave D/Hr fanfics. :D
Classics:
- Their Room by aleximoon (PG-13)
- We'll Always Have Paris (R) and Damaged (NC-17) by Melissa D
- Adamo Fidelitas by pixiezombie (NC-17)
- Lights Out by Kphoebe
- God of the Lost by Gravidy (R)

My fic recs: A few D/Hr fics I especially love.
- Draco Malfoy and the Amazing, Bouncing... Rat? by Maya (PG-13) One of the funniest fanfics I've read in any fandom. Lots and lots of snarky goodness here.
- Sags Like a Heavy Load by bk (R) This fic is really more of a general HP one with D/Hr elements in it than a straightforward D/Hr fic, but I listed it anyway because it's one of my favorites. I adore how bk fully realizes and fleshes out not just the Gryffindors but the Slytherins, too. In particular, I'm in love with her Ron, Blasie, and poor crazy Harry and Draco.
- Counting to None by nopejr This fic hits one of my big fanfic kinks: non-linear story structure. Words cannot express how much I love this story.
- Tie Me With Velvet by Ash Jay (PG) Another fic with a non-linear story structure. Ash Jay uses it to explore the progression of a relationship in reverse. This fic is all about the last line and it kills me every time.
- Waiting For Tomorrow by Abby Cadabra This fic meets my second fanfic kink, second person POV. A fic about fate and free will and possibility unrealized.

And because I couldn't resist...
A few of my own D/Hr fics: Fics also available at my website.
- Here's to the Night (R)
- Entropy (PG-13)

Comments

[ouronlylight.livejournal.com]

Beautiful essay. You've raised some very interesting questions - like why doesn't Draco hate Hermione more than Ron and Harry, and why did he reveal himself in GoF in the woods - that I had never really considered. I'm definitely going to have to have all of my anti-D/Hr friends read this essay!

[jwynn.livejournal.com]

Beautiful essay. Thank you! I'm completely fascinated with the GoF warning. It's the moment that gives me hope that there's more to Draco than just Harry hatred. He has layers! Really he does! So I'm glad I shed some light on a most interesting (at least in my opinion) encounter.

Thank you again for your kind words. I'm so glad you liked the essay. :D

[bk11.livejournal.com]

Hey girlie. Wow, you did an AWESOME job! Gussssssh.

I've got to read this again and give you better comments, but off the top of my head, I noticed that you're very methodical in your argument, which is very good. You went back to the idea of Draco acting less "intense" with Hermione as time passes and you know, that actually never occurred to me. Your essay gives me a lot to think about, especially your interpretations of the characters. I still have major issues with Hermione and her SPEW dilly, and that rat-bastard. But seriously, after reading this essay, I feel as if I need to reconsider some of my views because you made so much sense.

One thing to toss out about the "in fanfiction" part. You mentioned how Draco needed to change in order to "fall in love" with Hermione, but I've always thought that it swings both ways. Though he has to work a lot harder than she does to stop being an utter asshole, she's no saint, herself. What would it take for HIM to fall for the HER, because dude, if he has to change, she can't stay static. I'm not criticizing you at all because I love ya, just extending.

I'll add more later. But can I just say "whoop whoop!" to The God of the Lost rec? That story rocks my world. Ditto with Here's to the Night, but you already know that. You put in a lot less recs than I had expected. Selective tastes? That interesting. In-ter-est-ing, indeed. Right. Gotta sleep. And again, you did a really good job. Consider the effort substantially paid off, you beautiful person, you.

[jwynn.livejournal.com]

Interesting point about Hermione having to change for Draco to fall in love with her, one I honestly didn't consider. How do you think she would have to change for him to fall for her? Would it be little changes, like she tries to become less bossy, that she inhibits her know-it-all-ness more? Or would it be big changes, like fundamental shifts to her moral code? Because in regards to Draco possibly having to change before Hermione would fall in love with him or let herself be with him, I meant more of the latter. That there would be issues with Draco's Pureblood posturing and would these issues be big enough for Hermione to not allow herself to feel for Draco or be with him.

Again, not saying that either has to change for the two to fall in love with each other. Really, imho, it would be more interesting (and more angsty- gotta have the angst) if neither changed fundamentally. Then there'd be the Pureblood-Mudblood issues, the my friends hate your friends issues, the I hate you but I love you issues. Lots of issues, man. But that's what I love about fanfiction and this pairing; there's so many possibilities, ranging from the lightest, fluffiest marshmallow fic to the darkest and most twisted angst fic.

I was thinking last night after I posted the essay that I should have done more with the fanfic part, talked about it more somehow. But I was so tired I cut a lot of that stuff out and made the essay more about their canon relationship.

You put in a lot less recs than I had expected. Selective tastes? Yep. Very selective. I thought I did good coming up with five stories that really, truly rocked my socks.

Wow, you did an AWESOME job! Thank you! *does the happy dance* I'm glad you liked it; I was worried whether I'd be too off the deep end with my interpretations, so I'm glad I made some sense. :D

[bk11.livejournal.com]

"Really, imho, it would be more interesting (and more angsty- gotta have the angst) if neither changed fundamentally."

Okay, so here's my deal. It's obviously slanted one way, and perhaps the way it is slanted is unfair, but I truly believe that for Hermione to go for him, he would have to not only deal with his fundamental issues with blood, but he has to *deal* with them in the *right* way. That is, he has to be cured of that craz-ey "bigotry" problem. Which, in real life, doesn't really happen. I'd probably get pissed if a girl with ideals like Hermione eventually falls for someone like him, because she deserves better, no matter how "redeemed" he ends up. But it's fiction, and I read them because I want to be optimistic that, in some other universe, it's possible. So, that why, for me, the "I hate you but I love you" issues cannot work, because it's hard to reconcile that dynamic in my head. So in response to what you said, they (or more specifically HE) really does have to change. But I do see where you're coming from. Conflict is good. Literature is based on conflicts. But this is just one of my many issues. You can't have this conflict, for no other reason than the fact that I say so. Maybe we have different definitions of "fundamental" changes. I believe that core beliefs have to be tweaks, but I don't need for him to be a Power Rangers luvin' dino-freak to be a "worthwhile" person.

"How do you think she would have to change for him to fall for her?"

She's elitist. ;P And in a lot of the same way he is. Which you know, they can bond and have HOT angsty sex over. But the thing is, just like Malfoy, Hermione hasn't really given me a reason why I should give a crap about those elves, other than "it's right" or "I'm right, and you're wrong." Harry is a character that can *show* me or *prove* to me his sympathies. That girl, I just want to duct tape her mouth and tell her to get back to me when she's got a REAL reason. And how she goes about her elf-mission, blatantly tricking them into being "free." That's not treating them anymore like people than that Malfoy kid treats her.

Man, I just realize how much these two BOTHER the crap outta me. Hehe. That's really funny, considering the fact that I write 'em like the stupid stupid girl I am.

"I should have done more with the fanfic part"

:p Hey, it's never too late to slip some of that in there.

"Yep. Very selective."

That's hot, right there. I like that quality in a person (when that person's taste coincide with mine). Admit it, you dig 'NSync! Resistence is futile!

"I'm glad you liked it"

I'm not trying to flatter you. I'm really not. But dude, it was virtually impossible for me NOT to like it. Though, I gotta admit, I had a worried/amused mixture going on over how STRESSED you were over this thing.

[jwynn.livejournal.com]

I agree with you that if they try to strive for a long-term, successful relationship, Draco would have to change and work through his bigotry beliefs. No question about that. It's why I had all of those questions about would he have to change for Hermione to fall for him and not any of Hermione changing.

I think why I mentioned I like the stories where neither has changed fundamentally is that I don't think Hermione fits Draco's perception of what a Mudblood should be. She's the exception to the rule, constantly defying his expectations of her time and time again, so I can see him falling for her as he is now. This is not to say that everything would be hunky-dory. Far from it. I highly doubt Hermione would stand being an exception to such a horrible rule as that. But I like those stories where he hasn't changed yet, where they're still drawn to one another with him as the PurebloodYay!Slytherin and her as the EqualityCrusadingGyrffindor, and then they attempt to deal with and work through all of those issues both of us mentioned before. Sometimes the attempt is successful with Draco kicking the "bigotry problem." Sometimes it's unsuccessful with the two ending up on the opposite sides of the war.

I hope that makes sense. I have the tendency to not correctly put into words what I'm thinking in my brain, and it all comes out as word salad. :)

As for Hermione and her house elf crusade, I don't like it either. She's going about it the wrong way, trying to force people (or elves in this case) to do what she feels is right for them and that's not good. The part about the whole crusade that fascinates me is why she's so damn determined to do this. There has to be a reason for the intensity of her determination (the reason possibly being her own issues with equality.)

I just see a lot of potential in both Draco and Hermione and that's a lot of what draws me to the characters. JKR tends to write Hermione as perfect and Draco as a two-dimensional bad guy, and both seem to me to be facades, covering something a whole lot messier and complicated. With Harry and Ron, Sirius, Snape, we get the messy and complicated versions in the books. And with Draco and Hermione, I can just see the cracks lying beneath their respective surfaces and want to explore it.

Though, I gotta admit, I had a worried/amused mixture going on over how STRESSED you were over this thing. I stress about everything writing related. It's my curse. ;D

[bk11.livejournal.com]

"I hope that makes sense."

Yes. And I completely agree with you. So really, we can close of that aspect of this dicussion real fast. ;P

"There has to be a reason for the intensity of her determination (the reason possibly being her own issues with equality.)"

Sometimes I wonder about "why" and the extent of her determination also. Sometimes, the way she's written in the books, I get the sense that the incident in second year was one rare instance and that she wasn't actually exposed to that kind of bigotry often before--why she reacted so strongly about that one instance. Given that viewpoint, I also sometimes feel that her reason matters diddly, because her reason is simply the fact that it was what she read in a book. Slavery = BAD. Don't do it! That annoys me to no end, and that fact is reinforced by the way she pushes Ron to "do the right thing" because, you know, he's WRONG because he doesn't have the exact same viewpoint she does. That's a narrowmindedness right there that, in a way, undermines her crazy quest for absolute equality. So, she's basically just a kid with a shifty methodology that hasn't been completely realized yet. Does that make sense? So she *does* have to change in the sense that she has to grow up eventually, just like everyone else does.

"JKR tends to write Hermione as perfect"

Heh. I doubt this statement. Someone told me that Rowling has no qualms about admitting Hermione's tendency to annoy and irritate. I really don't think she's written as perfect or flawless. She's a kind of archetype, but it's a specific kind of type.

Can't help but notice how you not-so-subtly neither denied nor confirmed the NSync thing. :P

[jwynn.livejournal.com]

I think you're right about Hermione and that a lot of indignation and righteousness comes from her readings rather than personal experience. I'm reaching in trying to connect her Muggle heritage and one instance of bigotry with her crusade. And you're right, it is annoying when she tries to make people do what she wants because she's right and they're wrong. But she tends to be right in the books (which is what I meant by the perfect thing) and because of that can be very annoying and irritating.

I hope I haven't badgered you too much with this discussion. I like reading your viewpoint about HP; it makes me think (which, at this hour of the morning, is next to impossible for me).

And on the NSync thing, I plead the fifth. ;D

[bk11.livejournal.com]

"But she tends to be right in the books (which is what I meant by the perfect thing)"

I get the sense that she will get her come-uppance one of these days. You're right, an always "right" character is perfect. And y'know, perfect people fall! ;P Though, to add something else to the mix, I also get the sense that her so-called perfection is stretched out in fanfic specifically because in the face of Malfoy, she does look rather GOOD, but then I also know that the majority of people who imagine stories for the two...are girls. And those girls probably really identify themselves with the overachieving bookworm archetype rather than piss-his-pants-when-his-name-is-called poor-Ron, or inadequate-Harry. I'm not sure why, in fanfic, Hermione gets boosted, and it's Ron and Harry who are reduced to caricatures, when in the books, it's sort of switched--maybe the reason is really the fact that she's a girl, and the writer is a girl, so write about a girl. *shrugggs* So maybe that's part of where we get this idea of Hermione as perfect, saintly, and unchanging, because we want to see ourselves as the same kind of unchanging authority.

"I hope I haven't badgered you too much with this discussion."

I'd say something sarcastic here, but dude, sat here thinking for thirty seconds . . . nothing. You haven't badgered me at all, stoopid.

"And on the NSync thing, I plead the fifth. ;D"

I hear they're getting back together, or they ARE back together and are working on the next album. And I'm disgustingly excited. Whoo!

[millefiori.livejournal.com]

Nice essay! I have to admit that I'm not a particular fan of this pairing, mainly because I've seen so many stories that were just horribly done. I did read one story in which I was convinced by the pairing, probably because of the dynamic, which is one I particularly like.

I agree that both need to change in order to have a relationship, but I'm not so sure that the burden is all on Draco. In canon he already seems more respectful of and impressed by Hermione than he (or she) realizes. I don't think it would take much for his feelings to escalate into true admiration. I think the only absolute requirement would be for him to switch sides and support Harry/Dumbledore against Voldemort. (Which is asking a lot of him, I know, but I simply can't see Hermione ever accepting a Death Eater/Voldemort supporter in her life.)

I think the change on Hermione's part needs to be some humility and empathy. If she can learn to respect all the gray that exists between black and white absolutes, she might be able to appreciate Draco. Oddly enough, I don't think his bigotry is necessarily something that *has* to change. As long as he isn't actively persecuting Muggles/Muggleborns or insulting her/her friends (and she's climbed down off her high horse) I don't think she'd really care that he thinks they're inferior -- because he's wrong. In the absence of actual bad behavior, I think she'd just roll her eyes at the expression of "bad" opinions. Much like she did when he called her a Mudblood in CoS.

And with regard to that slap in PoA, I wouldn't be surprised if, unbeknownst to Harry, she'd apologized to Malfoy for it. (You know, someting like, "I hate you, Malfoy, and I still think you're a heartless beast, but I was wrong to slap you. I'm sorry.") It would've been awkward and uncomfortable, I'm sure, but it seems like something she might do, and could explain his odd protective behavior at the beginning of GoF.

Anyway, this is the only dynamic for this pairing that really interests me -- the two of them remaining much as they are now, with just enough of their sharp edges worn away that they can respect and appreciate one another. (Oh, the fic mentioned, which is HP/SS slash with only a titch of HG/DM, is the hysterically funny Contemporary Magical Innovations by H. Granger (http://www.squidge.org/~kali/cmi.html) by Kai.)

Thanks for posting this -- as I said, this pairing usually isn't my cup of tea, but you've reminded me of that little niche where I do think they could work!

[inalasahl]

Wonderful essay, I can't wait to check out the links.

[jwynn.livejournal.com]

Thank you! And please do check out the links, especially the fanfic ones. Lots of good stories there to read. :D

[signet85.livejournal.com]

Woot! That was fantastic. I had to read it all twice to get everything I could from it.

Thanks for sharing it!!! Craftily written, neatly organised and very non-verbose like (some) other essays.

*adds to memories and friends you* For when you come up with another gem!

Signet

[jwynn.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for your feedback; I'm glad you liked the essay. I'm not so sure about the non-verboseness of the essay as I tend to get wordy in almost everything I write, but this piece didn't turn out too long and rambly so I'm pleased. :D

[signet85.livejournal.com]

If this is what you call verbose, I'll read it any time at all. I tend to take verbose to mean too much of a descriptive passage that turns into chapters of flowery nothingness eg. taking three pages to say "the girl looked pretty in her sundress" the way Bryce Courteney does (it that is spelt wrong, I'm sorry, it's late...)

And you're welcome for the feedback, I love to comment and give feedback when I find something that I like, that shows promise or anything at all that piques my interest. And this, my dear jwynn, shows all three *big grin*

Rock on babe.

[scribbling-elf.livejournal.com]

I thought this was a very well-written essay. I've never been a Draco/Hermione shipper--the closest I've gotten to it was reading Roman Holiday. LOL--but I enjoyed this essay, and I liked your story Here's to the Night.

You accomplished what I think the purpose of these manifestos is; you made me think about the pairing, reflect on parts of canon in a new way, and made me interested enough to go read some fiction in the ship. I'm now curious to read some more Draco/Hermione, and I'm even entertaining the thought of writing some myself.

Brava! :-)

[s00sh.livejournal.com]

Wonderful piece of writing! Your sentences are pretty long but they aren't run-ons so I can't complain. :) I have to admit I had to sit down and turn of the music to read it properly.

Great arguments brought up. I was surprised when you described Draco's two ambitions as being a Slytherin and making friends with Harry. Cos, I mean, wouldn't Draco start out *disliking* Harry? Draco's family supports Voldemort, whose mortal enemy is Harry! I imagined Draco growing up in a household where Harry is occasionally brought up, and when he is, it is with malice.

Although I guess I can see Draco wanting to be friends with Harry for the celebrity status.

I really liked what you said about Draco's warning in GoF, the twitchy ferret scene and how that and other separate occasions have 'scarred' him.

Thanks so much for writing this. Now no one can refuse D/Hr :)

[jwynn.livejournal.com]

Sorry about the long sentences. I can't seem to stay away from them. ;D

I was surprised when you described Draco's two ambitions as being a Slytherin and making friends with Harry. Cos, I mean, wouldn't Draco start out *disliking* Harry? Draco approached Harry on the Hogwarts Express and tried to become friends with him once he realized who Harry was; in Madame Malkin's, Draco treated Harry indifferently, not knowing who he was. So I figured that Draco wanted to be friends with Harry Potter or he wouldn't have sought Harry out on the train and extended his hand in friendship. After Harry rejected his offer of friendship in favor of Ron, Draco started hating Harry but I don't think he hated Harry before the rejection.

Thanks you so much for your feedback. I really appreciate it. :D

[malena-sama.livejournal.com]

Since I've been a DHr shipper nearly a year, I didnt need to read that but your phrase made me do it... “Twitchy little ferret, aren’t you, Malfoy?”
Of all the HPbooks scenes involving DHr and shippers usually use for defend the shipping, this is one of my favourites, 'though is one of the less used!
Good 'manifesto', it's going right to my memo! ^^

[jwynn.livejournal.com]

I didnt need to read that but your phrase made me do it... “Twitchy little ferret, aren’t you, Malfoy?”

I love that line. It's so snarky and smug and just dripping with innuendo. Plus I love anytime in the books where Hermione cuts loose a little and acts sassy like she did here.

Thanks so much for your feedback. I really appreciate it. :D

Nice! :3

[lunatically.livejournal.com]

I'm a big D/Hr shipper, and I really liked this essay. Nice arguments!

Y'know, Draco may change. At least I think so. Check the name of the sixth chapter of HP book 6 on jkrowling.com (or on Contra Veritas).

It made me so happy.

Re: Nice! :3

[jwynn.livejournal.com]

Check the name of the sixth chapter of HP book 6 on jkrowling.com

I did. I'm excited as to what new information the chapter (and the book) might give us about Draco. I crave any new information, good or bad, that makes him more than a two-dimensional villain.

Thanks so much for your feedback. I'm gald you liked the essay. :D

[reetinkerbell.livejournal.com]

absolutely wonderful essay. did it take you long to write it?

anyway, I didn't want to just compliment you on your wonderful writing, nor on the excellent points you made, but ask you if you would be willing to let me link to this essay from the Dramione Fanfic Awards me and vampkiss is working on? you can say no of course, I won't be offended, but I would really love it if you said yes.

Ree

[jwynn.livejournal.com]

It took me a while to write it, but then I write very slow, a few paragraphs here and there and then lots of editing. And please feel free to link to this essay. Will you and vampkiss have a website for the awards because I'd love to go look at it sometime?

Thanks again for the feedback. I'm glad you liked the essay. :D

[reetinkerbell.livejournal.com]

and yes, we will. right now I'm just fixing the actual site, and she's working on the art (layout, buttons and awards ect) but if all things goes well, we'll be up around/after New Years. there will be announcements ect then, but right now I'm just putting it up on my old site as I'm working on it and we don't really have a site for it. lol..but we'll fix it soon.

and thanks, its very much appreciated.

Ree

[reetinkerbell.livejournal.com]

Hi, I was just going through some links and I found this. I thought I'd comment and give you the url, if you still want it, to the site. I'm not putting the essay link up just yet, as I have a few things to do first, but I'll do it in a day or two. unless you've changed your mind that is.

Dangerous Liaisons Awards (http://www.geocities.com/dangerousliaisons_awards/)

Ree

[duchess4urheart.livejournal.com]

I have been reading D/Hr fanfic for awhile, but I hadn't really delved into sites like Contraveritas. But, I checked in it, and happened upon this essay.

*HUGGING YOU* I don't normally do that, but you said everything that a non-writer like me wants to explain to the non-believers out there.

And, b/c this was awesome, I am friending you. bk11 can be one of my references! She is also on my flist.

[jacksmadeline.livejournal.com]

[Note: My comment, in three parts, because LJ says it's too sodding long!]

Your arguments, as bk11 stated, are extremely methodical and *brilliantly* mapped out. One prime example that really stood out (to me, at least; I was blown away, *seriously*) was when you pointed out Draco's lack of action in retribution for Hermione's bitch-slap, but proving that it couldn't have been attributed to embarrassment or weakness because of the Buckbeak incident, where he wasn't at all averse to coming off as a sniveling little...well, ferret. I never noticed that particular aberration in my own observations.


Call me blasphemous, but I've never even read any of the HP books. All I know of the world is what I've seen from the movies (one, three, and four) and--*now*, that is--the backstory I've picked up from fanfic.

But the most ironic part of all this is that, despite detesting the books (don't ask), these days I find myself spending hours upon hours at a time, sitting at the computer, reading Dramione fics. Even without having read the books (well...except for chapter one of book one, but that's it), I felt drawn to the pairing.

Then again--I've always had a penchant for the ships with the most potential for angst.

I don't see Hermione and Draco as viable for a long-term relationship (and by long-term, I mean *marriage*). It just wouldn't work. The most fundamental parts of their respective personalities are too deeply ingrained. It's part of what draws them to each other (and I do believe, that without all those deterring external inhibitions, they would most definitely be drawn to each other.) Hermione's pride, Draco's prejudice (...and pride, too, I guess), are what make their relationship so volatile in the fics. And so alluring. *Placating* Draco (I shudder at the thought) would take away a great chunk of his charm (snarky though it may be).

Draco's elitism concerning his bloodlines is a very important part of his character. True, he could still have wealth even without being a Pureblood, but it would detract from his self-assurance and oodles of overbearing confidence. (That's not to say he doesn't have insecurities...but he hides them well. Just like Hermione.)

Which leads me to my next point.

One of the things--no, actually, the thing I love *most* about Hermione (erm...evident from the fics that I've read...and the movies...and judging from what everyone else says) is how she is so utterly true to *herself* above all else. Which, I realize, may sound selfish, but you did point out that she didn't make friends until a third of the way through first year (a little fact which I actually did not know before reading your essay), probably because no one else could stand being around her long enough to get to know her (I really wouldn't know; I'm speculating here), and even after befriending Harry and Ron, she remains the same. She's still the insufferable know-it-all (though she uses her powers for *good*) and her hand positively shoots up during class to answer a question. She won't hesitate to argue with Ron or reprehend Harry for behavior she disapproves of. She's stubborn and determined because she believes in herself and is adamant in her principles. (Eventually, gradually, this being true to herself extends to her two best friends...but that's not the point I'm trying to make.) (And fyi, I find her quest for an egalitarian society admirable, but also it provides ample opportunity for Draco to make digs at her about it.)

And Draco counterpoints her so perfectly because he's just the right combination of ruthless and cunning intellect to point out her flaws and weaknesses where she thinks herself to be invincible (because you know she really does. Though she probably doesn't like to admit it.)

[jacksmadeline.livejournal.com]

ANYWAY...what I originally wanted to say was that I see their relationship as being kind of on-and-off, spanning several years. They are NOT *perfectly* suited to each other (that would just make it boring), so they have fights, like any other normal couple (except that theirs would include smashing cups and wrecking furniture and potentially burning down portions of houses...), and break it off...but inevitably end up back together. EXCEPT when they get older. And Hermione, ever the practical one, finally settles down with someone else. Someone not quite as exciting, but safe. Because she'd realize that she needs security in a relationship. Someone like...Ron. (OR Harry... But canon refutes that possibility. This, of course, would be Harry MINUS all the Voldemort business. Although...their relationship has a lot of untapped angsty-ness too... But anyway! I'm getting ahead of myself.)

And more in regard to the Pureblood issue... I see Draco (after he eventually falls in love with Hermione. Because he will.) making an exception in her case (no duh, cuz he's in love with her). And she'll let it go, temporarily blinded by her own love, until she realizes that he really *hasn't* changed that much, deep down. He's still bigoted toward other Mudbloods and Muggles, and an altercation will erupt over that, no doubt, after she confronts him, because of course Hermione is the type who believes that problems should be dealt with head-on, in a straightforward manner.

We probably don't see as much of Draco slamming Hermione in the books because...well, he *is* the antagonist, and who wants to see their favorite heroes (and heroine) losing? So JK Rowling (understandably) leaves that out. But there's always the possibility. And Hermione always has Harry and Ron at her sides; if he ever managed to corner her alone, I think he'd be emboldened to voice remarks with just the right touch to get under her skin. Strictly through verbal means, of course.

Oh, and I must say, I never knew that one of Draco's primary two goals was to befriend Harry. That offers up quite a lot for a delectable, angsty, slashy story. But we won't go there. XD

I like that JK Rowling has written a series starring a BOY and his friends, instead of the typical girl-centric romance novel, but I do find Harry to be one hell of a Gary Stu. (It's part of the reason why I refused to read the books. But then...what author *doesn't* make their main character perfect? Maybe that's why I sympathize with Draco so much. Because, if you think about it, Harry really *is* the ultimate Golden Boy, whom everyone adores, for his courageous, selfless deeds and blah blah blah...)

And in a way, I like that JK Rowling doesn't flesh out Draco as much (from what I've heard), because, as much as she sinks the Dramione ship in canon, as long as she leaves a little for guesswork (in that Draco remains a somewhat two-dimensional villain, and Hermione retains her pristine reputation), we ficcers are sure to find cracks in the not-so-flawless veneer to fuel our writing.

But of course, I'm no authority on this. Pshh, I haven't even read the bloody books!!

[jacksmadeline.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I applaud you for your selective tastes. There's a lot of relatively good Dramione fics out there, but the absolutely *superb* ones are rather hard to find, so thanks very much for the recs!

I got swept up in the world of Dramione, believe it or not, by way of a video I just happened to watch on a whim on *youtube*. *cringes*

I don't even remember what it was...I think the video description (or in the case of the one I saw, "plot summary") or song (it must have been one I liked) caught my eye. And that inevitably led to a barrage of MORE, and before I knew it, I was on ffnet looking up Draco/Hermione stories. I knew it would come to this some day, but I'd been trying to avoid it because...well, look where it's gotten me. This comment is already *ridiculously* long.

Anyway, the first fic I read (and it just dawned on me that I'm rather sharing my life-with-Dramione story with you; I'm sorry you must endure this, kind stranger) was a humor one. Not serious, atrocious grammar and punctuation, but *very* funny nonetheless. I was more than intrigued. And then I found "The Ends of the Earth" (by SilverStar24 on ffnet...have you read it?) and then I found (er...more like *hunted down*) more recs (a particular favorite is "The Dragon's Bride" by Rizzle, on colouredgrey.contraveritas.com) and even MORE angst-fics ("Charon's Gift," Philyra912, ffnet. And I'm not even an experienced reader in the HP fandom!)...and now I do believe I'm utterly hopeless. Ahh well.

Oh, and the apology non-scene millefiori described? I can totally see it! (Of course, Malfoy would be all smug about it and she'd berate herself for putting herself out there like that and they'd go back to hating each other...but with the tension slightly relieved.) Millefiori's description of the pair's dynamic, "the two of them remaining much as they are now, with just enough of their sharp edges worn away that they can respect and appreciate one another," and Granger coming to terms with the grey, shady areas in life (ahem, herloveforDraco), fits my view of the would-be couple perfectly.

And also what she said about being scared away from the ship because of being exposed to poorly written fics ("I have to admit that I'm not a particular fan of this pairing, mainly because I've seen so many stories that were just horribly done.") is a path I'm loath to walk down and terribly frightened of treading by accident, because of the fervor with which I seek out Dramione; it's very easy to become disheartened. So again, thank you for the recs! And the splendiferous essay! Glad to finally be getting my thoughts out, and thank you for yours. They provided some wonderful insight. :)

[lynnec114.livejournal.com]

I think this essay is wonderful. Absolutely WONDERFUL.

It helps to prove where we can pull the possibility of the Draco/Hermione relationship, and it gives a very beautiful insight into 2 of the most dynamic characters in Harry Potter...(I think Hermione is more dynamic than even Ron in some cases :])

Thank you so much for this...It gives weight that even though Draco and Hermione may never get it down in any of the Harry Potter books, someday, in our imaginations, they can come together to produce some absolutely spectacular fireworks...if you know what I mean. ;]

[selenity136.livejournal.com]

A wonderful essay should also have this wonderful dramione fic.

We Learned the Sea (http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3144908/1/We_Learned_the_Sea/) by luckei1. It's because of this story that I converted two of my former non-Draco/Hermione believers into dramione believers.

I'm glad someone out there wrote an essay why this pairing is plausible.

[kozanryuusui.livejournal.com]

Wow... I'm a little late in finding this, but still, fantastic proof that there is something. I haven't read the books in a long time, but I really want to go through page-by-page and make something completely canon.

When I do, I'm citing you. :D

[kaibasgirl.livejournal.com]

Wow. I always wondered why people ship Hermione/Draco, and this really gave me a lot of insight to their relationship. I didn't even notice most of the stuff you pointed out when reading the books, but now I want to go back and read all of them, and see what other subtle changes occured in their relationship!

Thank you for this! ^^