Molly and Arthur were simply the best

If we were to sum up what the term ‘couple goals’ meant, we would just show you a photo of Molly and Arthur Weasley. We can confidently say they were the strongest couple in the wizarding world. Yes, they might not have the most dramatic story of how they got together but that doesn’t matter. What does matter is their dedication to maintaining a loving partnership that could withstand anything.

Firstly, this was a duo who have spent the majority of their lives together and you can’t discount that shared life experience. They grew from two Hogwarts students who got caught on a night-time stroll by caretaker, Apollyon Pringle, to two adults who shared responsibilities and a family. They were clearly destined to be – Molly even said so herself about their decision to elope:

Molly’s quite right, we can’t think of another wizarding couple that worked as well as they did.

And ok, this was a pair who had their fair share of bickering and disagreements – especially when your husband likes to tinker with illegal flying cars and other Muggle objects as a hobby – but it never truly got between them. They were a team. They might not always understand where the other was coming from, but they always supported each other with a united front.

When Harry first arrived at The Burrow in said flying car, Molly looked to Arthur to back her up when it came to disciplining their wayward kids. Yes, he might have been more interested in how the car handled, but he quickly corrected himself echoing his wife’s sentiments. Likewise, Molly might never fully understand Arthur’s love for rubber ducks, spark plugs and everything Muggle, but she always supported his job in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts office and when he got a promotion, she was his biggest cheerleader.

Plus, nothing is going to test you like raising seven highly spirited children… especially when they are children capable of magic. Yet, they were a solid family unit, and every single child (yes, even Percy) was an excellent reflection of Molly and Arthur and their love. And let’s not forget, if it wasn’t for Molly and Arthur choosing to be together, Harry would never have had his best friend, Ron or the love of his life, Ginny.

You might argue that Tonks and Lupin had more to overcome to be together and that is why their love is strongest. However, Mr and Mrs Weasley weren’t just handling mundane everyday issues, they had their fair share of tragedy. From the loss of Molly’s brothers to the return of Voldemort, to Percy’s estrangement and most tragically of all, Fred’s death, this was a pair who had more than their fair share of tests. Again, nothing could shake this unbreakable couple. If anything, their love expanded, and that love enabled them to bring others into their family – like Harry.

Ultimately, there was nothing quite like Molly and Arthur’s love. Their love stood the test of time. The test of everyday life. The test of unfathomable pain and loss. Theirs might not have been as dramatic or flashy as other love, but theirs was certainly one for the ages.

Lupin and Tonks were the heart and soul

As we make our case for this particular pairing, we do so with a heavy heart, knowing all too well that Lupin and Tonks’ love was powerful, yet ephemeral. They simply didn’t have enough time.

Unlike Molly and Arthur, these two Order of the Phoenix members had a rocky road to their romance, with Tonks pining for a man too ashamed to open himself up to the sheer possibility of love. As a werewolf, Lupin had learnt to close himself off from relationships, preferring to operate alone, fearful of the danger he might inflict upon others. When it transpired that the lovable Nymphadora Tonks, so peppy, so full of zest, held a torch for the ex-Marauder, Lupin didn’t exactly whisk her off her feet and take her to Madam Puddifoot’s Tea Shop. Who remembers turning each page of their Harry Potter books with sheer frustration at Lupin? Why couldn’t he just let this talented, funny, clever Metamorphmagus into his life? They were perfect for each other! But poor Lupin had simply been too wounded by his condition to believe it.

Nonetheless, Tonks’ infatuation with Lupin pursued – even her Patronus changed form, into a wolf, just like him. And as a Patronus is a manifestation of our very soul, you knew her love was achingly true. Despite Lupin’s protestations (he was too old, too poor, too dangerous, he despaired!) the pair finally found their way into each other’s arms, despite the loss of Dumbledore and the threat of war dancing around them.

Theirs was a relationship very much forged in fire. But it was also this romance that gave us glimmers of hope throughout the darker moments of the stories. Right before a dangerous Order of the Phoenix mission, Tonks shocked us all with a big, shiny wedding ring. While Harry sought refuge at Shell Cottage after Dobby’s death, it was in this moment Lupin arrived to tell everyone of the birth of Teddy Lupin. With Voldemort on the ascent, friends dispersed, and times looking desolate, Lupin and Tonks’ union gave everyone something to root for.

Alas, much like the chaos that swirled around them, Lupin struggled with domestic bliss. When we learnt that Tonks was pregnant, the former Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher let his old fears rule him once again, afraid his son would be a werewolf like him, or that he was too damaged to be a good father. It took a young, vehement teenager to snap him out of his malaise, with Harry chastising Lupin for daring to run out on Tonks, saving their relationship, leading us to Teddy.

Alas, the ‘tidings of new life’ would only last so long for Lupin and Tonks – and we all know how it would have to end. Casualties of the Battle of Hogwarts, the couple battled valiantly in the face of Voldemort’s evil – and in the end, died together, side-by-side.

But as tragic as their ending was, there is still something deeply poetic that this pair found each other in the flames of conflict and left this world saving it. As for Teddy, who would never know his brilliant parents, he stood as a beacon, representing everything they fought for – with his godfather Harry on hand to guide him, just as Lupin had done for him.

Of course, Lupin and Tonks are the most iconic couple – their story is one for the ages.