I'm more of an canon supporter, but I do like other pairings as long as it's explained well on how they got together without the bashing and senseless degradation of the character. I mean, I can greatly dislike or hate a character, but only because that's how the writer made the character. But I dunno, in fanfiction, totally changing the character's personality because you don't like him/her is weird. Characters aren't supposed to be perfect. If they were, then they'd be Mary-Sue or Gary-Stu which is worse in my personal opinion.

In the HP universe, like Ron Weasley as a character because I feel I could relate to him more than the others. Secondly would be Hermione Granger only due to the fact I like to read, but I don't see her how others do -- she's clearly not perfect (it just so happens that Emma Watson is good-looking that's why people expected Hermione Granger in the books to be just like her).

I believe anyone can make excellent stories without the need to mutilate characters they don't like. I've managed to read other stories that has other pairings I don't usually support but they treated the other characters well. I don't mind a good DM/HG story as long as you provide a nice story on the fallout between Ron and Hermione. In the end, Ron and Hermione are friends first and Ron will support Hermione even if they're no longer together.