My contribution to the "Why Was Hermione Suddenly So Desperate to Get Together With Ron?" theories. I'm still a Harry/Hermione shipper, but I needed to write this.
Hermione knows it's naïve, but sometimes she thinks she'll be safe because she's a girl. Not The Girl, of course; she's much too bookish for that. She's more like the smart sidekick who aides The Hero with information, and that person rarely gets hurt. Perhaps put into sticky situations involving disabling bombs, but never killed.
There's something fantastical about this war. Maybe it's the inclusion of magic, but it reminds her of stories she read when she was young. There's Good and Evil, so clearly defined in most cases. There are the good fairies that help them along their way, tortured souls, and the one true villain.
And of course, there's Harry—Knight in Shining Armor, Super Hero, Only Hope, whatever new title given to him this week. The Knight must have his page, ready to do anything for him. Maybe a little too ready.
Hermione is not a damsel, or Fay Wray. The ratio of Times Boys Saved Her: Times She's Saved Them is in her favor. She does not need a man to emotionally function. But right now, she needs Ron. He proved at the age of eleven that he would sacrifice himself for Harry, and Hermione knows the odds for the Best Friends are never good. That's why she's gone crazy this year, trying to get Ron to notice her. She thinks they have a chance together, and she knows that he doesn't have long.
What are you doing just standing there? Review!