For fans of the Harry Potter franchise, the romance between Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger was the slow-burn tension that defined a generation. But off-screen, actors Rupert Grint and Emma Watson were busy forging a bond that was less about teenage angst and more about becoming family.
Ever since the Harry Potter th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts special aired, clips of the pair’s emotional reunion have been circulating on TikTok and X (formerly Twitter), leaving fans teary-eyed over their “uncanny” connection.
During the special, Grint, , shared a deeply vulnerable moment that quickly went viral. Holding Watson’s hand, he told her, “I love you,” before quickly clarifying—to the laughter of fans—”as a friend.”
“We’ve watched each other grow up. We grew up together. We’re family,” Grint said through tears. Watson, , was visibly moved, later telling Vogue that hearing him be so public with his feelings was the highlight of the reunion for her. “When Rupert says things, he really means them,” she noted.
However, being “like siblings” made their iconic Deathly Hallows kiss a total nightmare to film. Watson infamously described the experience as “horrifying,” explaining that the two of them simply could not stop laughing.
“I was really scared we were never going to get it because we just couldn’t take it seriously,” Watson admitted. Grint didn’t have it any easier, joke-confessing that he “blacked out” during the scene because it felt “so wrong on every level.”
Their “awkward” chemistry actually started years earlier. During The Chamber of Secrets, a young Watson was so shy about hugging her male co-stars that director Chris Columbus had to compromise. While she gave Daniel Radcliffe a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it hug, she and Rupert settled for an incredibly stiff handshake—a moment fans still meme to this day!
Despite the occasional awkwardness, the two were each other’s rocks during the height of “Pottermania.” Both stars admitted during the reunion that they independently contemplated quitting the franchise as the pressure of fame reached a tipping point. “I was scared,” Watson recalled. “I don’t know if you ever felt like it got to a tipping point where you were like, ‘This is kind of forever now.'”
So, do the stars of the “Golden Trio” have a frantic group chat today? Not exactly. Watson revealed that the trio actually avoids WhatsApp and heavy device usage.
“We aren’t on a group chat, but we speak individually,” she shared. And while they aren’t texting /, Grint makes sure to keep Watson updated on his most important role yet: being a dad.
The actor regularly sends Watson photos of his daughter, Wednesday, whom he welcomes with partner Georgia Groome in . “Rupert sends me pictures of Wednesday and I die,” Watson gushed.
It seems that whether they are fighting trolls in a bathroom or navigating parenthood in the real world, Ron and Hermione—or rather, Rupert and Emma—will always have each other’s backs.
Would you like me to find the latest photos of the Harry Potter cast at their most recent public appearances?
