Ravenclaw relationships are rarely what they seem. This couple may be aloof at first glance, but then turn passionate about certain subjects. They can also be secretly romantic. For a Ravenclaw, the coolest person in the room will be someone who is authentic, uses their brain, and is exceptionally good at what they do — whatever that may be.
For those of you who didn’t hop on to the Hogwarts Express fandom train of Harry Potter in the past — and now are reluctant to with the whole death of the author debacle — let me give you a quick breakdown of the Ravenclaw house first.
Ravenclaws value wit, learning, and creativity. They’re incredibly intelligent and ever-curious, often diving deep into the books or finding themselves on an adventure because they simply must know the answer to their question. These people treasure knowledge and are always sharpening their minds, creating, and tinkering with systems to make something better. Ravenclaws enjoy having a sense of mastery and skill, whether that is in science, poetry, lockpicking, Egyptology, or basket weaving. The world is their oyster!
Ravenclaws need someone who can keep up with them, mentally. And someone who can call them out when they’re wrong (and prove it with facts and reason.) After all, a Ravenclaw thrives on heated debates and battles of wits.
These birds of a feather can have quite the ego when it comes to their brain and their way of thinking. They can also be reserved at first glance. Think of your Professor heroes and Librarian heroines. It’s no surprise that many Professor and Librarian archetypes find themselves in the Ravenclaw house! Many Ravenclaws find refuge in books, facts, and academia when their talents were unnoticed or unappreciated as children. That’s why they get so excited to find someone else who just gets them.
Check out these Ravenclaw/Ravenclaw couples. I’m sure you’ll recognize a few!
Raymond Holt and Kevin Cozner (Brooklyn Nine Nine)
Captain Raymond Holt is stoic, efficient and detail oriented. He strives for accuracy and perfection (he’s the kind of person who will measure one ruler with another ruler) from himself and his squad. As a leader, he often plays the role of a mentor and creates a system that taps into the true potential of each detective.
Over time, Holt’s dramatic, yet deadpan, sense of humor makes itself known. People consistently surprise him, and even amuse him, but it takes a while for him to truly trust them and go to another person for advice (or admit he was ever wrong – the horror!)
Holt has never tried to hide who he is or what his opinions are. He is an out and proud gay police officer and has interests ranging from classical music to safety inspections. And he’s willing to learn just about anything — even the dance moves to “Push it” by Salt n’ Peppa.
Which is why it’s fitting that his husband, Kevin Cozner, is an academic. They share the same high-brow interests, love for precision, and an ability to soak up knowledge. Kevin will happily dive into the footnotes of a research paper and his happy place is the library. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t study how to punch someone in the throat for self-defense!
Kevin just understands Holt, because he put the time in to learn his quirks. He truly thinks Holt is the funniest person in the world, and just as smart as he is. He understands when Holt says their love is like oatmeal, even finds it romantic. (Yeah, good thing Holt put a ring on that.)
As Ravenclaws, they often help one another by problem solving, researching the issue, and offering advice. When that’s willfully ignored, it rankles. And often sparks a fight. Just look at Holt’s reaction when Kevin was trying to suss out just how welcoming the 99 was to a gay captain (based on his previous experience with Holt’s friends). Or how Kevin chafed at Holt’s admittedly severe protection measures when there was a killer hunting the academic down.
At the end of the day, Holt and Kevin love getting to know one another day by day. They put in the work to understand one another’s quirks, and appreciate their different interests. They may never have signed up to be the “Team Dads” for the 99, but they’re learning on the job!
Sheldon Cooper and Amy Farrah Fowler (the big Bang Theory)
Sheldon Cooper is an eccentric professor, proud geek, and a certifiable genius. He’s a theoretical physicist and a prodigy from small town Texas. His personal hero is Spock. His happy place is the lab, his spot on the couch, or the comic book store.
Sheldon is 100% confident in his brain. It’s his best tool and greatest ally, and he puts the work in to keeping it sharp. He’s always digging into the latest research, taking it upon himself to explain things to others (even if they didn’t ask) and, if it’s really dire, he will help his friends out by putting his mind to work for what he may see as far-too-emotional problems.
After all, Sheldon prefers rationality, logic, and data. He like rules and systems that he can poke and prod and experiment with, sometimes to find a loophole — sometimes to ensure he understands it and can verify that it is, in fact, reasonable.
Ravenclaws value intelligence in their partners and friends, and that’s especially true for Sheldon. He doesn’t feel the need to explain himself, and he’s not accustomed to slowing down to do so. So it’s a good thing that he found Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler…or really, she found him.
Another genius with less-than-smooth social skills, Amy prefers blunt and straightforward communication. She’s never quite understood all the cues of social relationships, but she dedicates the time to learn about the behaviors from the people she cares about in her group.
Amy loves to experiment and test out theories. It’s how she engages with the world and knows what’s true and what’s not. She’s thrilled that Sheldon is not only smart, but he appreciates the scientific method. That opens up far more possibilities, and honestly pushes their relationship forward as both Sheldon and Amy are willing to try and learn in a romance neither were expecting.
Of course, their egos do clash. Both of these brainy individuals are accustomed to being the smartest in the room. They can get competitive in a battle of wits and may subconsciously believe that they are more intelligent than their friends if they don’t take a moment to appreciate the different minds.
Sheldon and Amy speak each other’s language. They don’t have to walk on eggshells to communicate, but they do have to learn how to be in a relationship with another person who’s just as passionate and intelligent as they are. Just in different ways.
Joan Watson and Sherlock Holmes (Elementary)
Ok, full disclosure: I don’t ship this Watson and Holmes romantically, but they do follow a lot of the same beats! And I’ll give it to you: they’re #married. I just don’t want them married-married. I also ignore the last season, but I digress.
Sherlock Holmes has always been a big ol’ Ravenclaw, and this CBS incarnation is no different. The only difference is that he’s more obviously flawed, has more daddy issues (and is anti-wealth and power, though he’ll use both as a resource) and may be slightly more intimidated by Watson.
Intelligent, out-of-the-box thinking, always learning — Sherlock has a repertoire of unusual hobbies and interests. You never know when lockpicking will come in handy. And he hates not knowing things.
Sherlock always needs a Watson to explain things to the audience, but here you can see how he actually needs Watson to call him out on his own BS. Without any friction, Sherlock can run wild. He can and will think he’s the smartest in the room, and that arrogance can cost him.
Joan Watson is on his frequency and keeps up with him. She forces him to take a real look at the situation from different angles, and she proves to be a puzzle that he can’t resist getting to know — and eventually care for.
The genderswapped Watson is tougher than the originals, and more assertive. She’s a smart cookie herself, having left the medical field to become a sobriety companion turned detective’s apprentice. She’s excited by mysteries and keeps a cool head in a crisis. She’s impressed by Sherlock’s intelligence and amused by his eccentricities, but has little patience for being talked-down to. Honestly it could be especially since she’s genderswapped. Even Watson is tired of the mansplaining!
Like Sherlock, Watson dives deep into her interests. She follows news and gossip on the mob like they’re the Kardashians. She observes how detectives work a case, and soaks up the information to use later. Solving crime activates her mind in a way that being a sobriety companion couldn’t. It’s the first thing that got her excited since being a surgeon, and she’s not about to give that up.
Both detectives are constantly learning and collecting information (they are, after all, investigating a case) to get to the root of the problem. To get to the truth. They want to solve the puzzle, solve the crime. It’s not so much about the client as it is the mystery. Sherlock and Watson love a challenge and a chance to really use their wits.
And boy, do they love having a nemesis — nothing excites a Ravenclaw quite like a game of cat-and-mouse. They may have to put aside some pride, but these two grow bolder in their crime-solving adventures once they know that they have a trusted (and intelligent) partner at their side.
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