The “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts” did more than drown fans in their tears and nostalgia; it started plenty of conversations concerning the cast and their characters.
For instance, who knew that Daniel Radcliffe (the man behind Harry) nursed a huge crush on his co-star Helena Bonham Carter? Plus, did you know that “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” was “peak hormone” for the cast? (at least that’s what Radcliffe says).
But one of the biggest conversations that intrigued fans revolved around Tom Felton and Emma Watson, particularly when the latter admitted to having a crush on the former.
Twitter and other social media sites exploded with reactions to Felton and Watson’s interviews, especially when both actors said they loved each other but insisted that they were never romantically linked. Despite the denials, there was no denying that the Dramione ship sailed that night.
But then again, the Dramione ship never stopped sailing. It remains one of the most popular relationships in the Harry Potter universe.
Dramione in the Canon Harry Potter World
If you’re new to the Harry Potter fandom or the world of shipping, you may have heard about Dramione or have strong feelings concerning the tension between Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger (or both!).
Dramione is the ship (short for relationship) between Draco and Hermione.
In canon, Draco and Hermione are on the opposite sides of the spectrum. Draco, the pureblood son of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, was a Slytherin student known for his wealth, arrogance, and disgust for Muggle-borns (aka people born to muggles or non-magic folk).
On the other hand, Hermione is a muggle-born, a Gryffindor and one of Harry Potter’s best friends — who just so happened to be Draco’s enemy at school.
As Draco was raised to look down on people like Hermione, he treated her with disdain, but the feelings were mutual. Hermione, Harry and Ron considered Draco as their enemy from the moment that they met. Draco often called Hermione “mudblood” to mock her muggle-born heritage and often resented her for beating him at school. Most of the time, Hermione would ignore him, but she would occasionally fight back. In their third him, she slapped him in the face.
However, adulthood changed the way Draco and Hermione viewed one another, particularly Draco. When asked to confirm her identity by Bellatrix, he avoided looking at her. The wizarding war sobered up the now adult Draco. After the war, Hermione and Draco remained civil, if not friendly.
In canon, Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger did not end up together or even have a romantic relationship. Hermione married Ron Weasley and Draco married Astoria Greengrass.
Despite not being an endgame relationship in the Potter universe, Draco and Hermione continue to be a popular ship among fans.
Why is Dramione a Popular Ship?
One of the main reasons fans root for Dramione is because the ship is different. Unlike other stories where two of the good protagonists fall in love, Draco and Hermione portray that “What if?” scenario of a protagonist falling for a villain?
Their differences in character and beliefs also fire up the chemistry between the two. If you’re looking for a couple that screams opposites attract, Dramione is THE ship. They’re so different that when they face off, the tension is palpable. Some people even compare their tension to that of James Potter and Lily Evans, Harry’s parents. His parents didn’t like each other at the beginning either — with James being the pureblood and rich “arrogant toerag” as Lily called him and Lily being the responsible muggle-born that she was.
Some fans are convinced that Draco was probably interested in Hermione but refused to admit it. An example Dramione shippers point out is the time Hermione slapped Draco in “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.” Readers expected the Slytherin bully to retaliate or at least call Hermione “mudblood.” But Draco just stood there in shock. Fans interpret this as him realizing he had taken it too far. Dramione fanfic writers often use this scene as the moment Draco saw Hermione in a new light. Also, Pansy’s dislike for her is a bit too strong, which suggests she could think something is up.
Dramione: Why People Think Draco and Hermione Should Be Together
Dramione shippers think that Draco and Hermione are more similar than you think.
For starters. Hermione is intelligent; she thinks things through carefully and can read people’s emotions. Draco is also highly intelligent, a thorough planner and a good reader of people’s emotions. Hermione can be a bit elitist when it comes to intelligence while Draco can be an elitist when it comes to magical blood heritage. They share a lot of similarities that aren’t apparent at first sight.
Next, there’s the idea that Hermione can light up Draco’s dark world. Ships with a light (good) character and a dark (bad) character are often popular due to the tension between good and evil. It’s always the good character fighting for the redemption of the evil one, which is often a plot in most Dramione fan fiction stories.
Fans think that Hermione is the light that Draco needs. She can lead him out of the dark and to the right path. On the other hand, fans believe Draco can be easily vulnerable with Hermione, especially if he opens up to her.
On the Other Hand: Why People Don’t Ship Dramione
Like other ships in the literary universe, there are people against the Dramione ship. These aren’t just the fans who ship Hermione with Ron or Harry; these are people who think that the ship is a toxic one.
First, Draco was cold and manipulative while Hermione was kind and loyal. Their arguments often highlighted the stark differences in their characters, with Draco often being unforgiving with how badly he treats her. He often called her mudblood and taunted her when the Basilisk escaped and hunted down muggle-borns (“You’ll be next, mubdloods!”).
Some fans might argue that Ron and Hermione often argued, too. But Ron and Hermione loved each other, first as friends before becoming lovers. Draco, on the other hand, showed no care or compassion for Hermione or people like her. He bullied her non-stop and called her horrible names.
Other reasons people aren’t for the Dramione ship are:
- They showed no interest in each other, not even in enemies to lovers type of way.
- Their storylines barely intersected, and when they do, they’re always on opposite sides.
- Draco’s belief in pureblood heritage would’ve kept him from overlooking Hermione’s muggle-born status. Even if he is a changed man, there’s a chance his prejudice influences his choices in partners (hence, pureblood Astoria Greengrass).
- Some fans believe that Dramione has fallen into the common trope of good girl/bad boy and ignores the characters’ histories and personalities.
Lastly, anti-fans of the Dramione ship believe that the chemistry of Draco and Hermione is due to their actors. Tom Felton and Emma Watson’s chemistry on-set is a huge reason behind people’s love for their characters. On the side, people are also hoping that these two would end up together).
Dramione: Ship Your Ship
No matter what your opinion of Dramione is, there’s no denying that this ship will forever be a part of the Harry Potter universe. Draco and Hermione might not have ended up with each other, but in the hearts of many Dramione shippers, they are together (or at least, we can all hope that Tom Felton and Emma Watson might).
