Do you feel differently about HHr today, when comparing to when you first read the books?
I do. As I matured, I realized that my love for HHr *as a couple* is more for what it could’ve been than for what it actually was.
I’ve read and reread these books, and back in my teenage years before book 7 came out, even wrote long extensive analyses of small minute scenes, maxxinterpreting them and using every single tiny nuance trying to find evidence that it was canon.
I feel differently when reading the books now. I feel like they don’t give us HHr as a “couple under development”, but rather as kids developing an unbreakable friendship and loyalty bond. Something that, IMO, they lacked with Ron (at least yet, due to his selfish and immature nature - understandable for a kid).
I see a baseline for a potential strong future romantic relationship many years later. I don’t think HHr would’ve ever gotten together/worked as teens. None of them would.
Anyway, when reading the books now, I adore catching those HHr scenes where you can clearly seeing their relationship developing. But I don’t read them as being romantic then, but as potentially becoming something more many years later.
Thats why I despise the epilogue so much.