Harry Potter franchise actors Tom Felton and Emma Watson who play young wizards in the making, Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger, have often been the subject of relationship rumors. The wishful thinking of the fans grew so loud that the actor felt the need to clear the air on certain things while out promoting his new memoir, Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard.

Tom Felton

Tom Felton & Emma Watson’s On and Off Relationship

Tom Felton and Emma Watson have always seemed infatuated with each other in the years since they grew up together. Having been integrated into the world of acting and Hollywood and receiving the harsh spotlight of fame, publicity, and scrutinizing paparazzi at an incredibly young age, the young cast of the Harry Potter franchise, most of whom weren’t even teenagers at that point, have had to grow up fast.

Tom Felton reflects on the Harry Potter cast 20 years later

In the hasty upbringing that they faced, the chemistry between Emma Watson and Tom Felton has always been one that’s up for debate among the Potterheads. Their on-screen rivalry and off-screen friendship soon gave way to speculations, usually about their dating. However, upon further examination, the matter has always been something of a mystery, and the actors although always seen gushing about each other, didn’t really validate those rumors beyond a certain extent.
“Rumours started to abound that there was more to our relationship than we were letting on. I denied that I liked her in that way, but the truth was different. My girlfriend at the time knew straight away that there was something unspoken between us. I remember using the familiar old line, ‘I love her like a sister.’ But there was more to it than that.”

Tom Felton and Emma Watson

Unfortunately, the pair had a tragic cinematic anticlimactic ending to their story and never really ended up together despite having feelings for each other at certain points in their career.

Tom Felton Discloses His “Spark” With Emma Watson

In his recent memoir, Tom Felton discloses that there indeed was a spark between him and Watson but tragically, it was at different times in their relationship which accounted for them never really finding the right moment to be together.

Emma Watson and Tom Felton celebrate their 20-year reunion on Harry Potter: Return to Hogwarts

Although Tom Felton fell behind in the developmental arc of his Hollywood career beyond the Harry Potter universe, Emma Watson has been having a tour of the world as the U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador in 2014. Since then, she has found the strength and endurance to shine a light on the socio-political situation of women around the globe and has been an avid activist, besides also campaigning for the HeForShe movement. Last year, while speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Tom Felton claimed,
“We are something, if that makes any sense. We’ve been very close for a long time. I adore her. I think she’s fantastic. Hopefully she returns the compliment… As far as the romantic side of it, I think that’s a Slytherin/Gryffindor thing rather than a Tom and Emma thing.

I absolutely think the world of her. I think to be a part of what we’ve all been a part of, but for her to be the only girl, certainly the youngest one on set, to grow up with what she had to grow up with was incredibly exciting. You’re going to get me teary now, but no, I think she’s a fantastic influence on the world.”

Emma Watson

Tom Felton has also opened up about his stance against author J.K. Rowling and expressly wished to distance himself from her after the latter’s infamous anti-trans comments that went viral a few years back. His declaration comes after the loud and vocal renunciations of Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, and Rupert Grint.