All For The Better

by ohdumbledear

Ginny has a fear. She has a plan. Can she go through with it? Not quite canon, but if you think about it, it works. Excuse the spacing, I forgot to double-space.

That's it, Ginny thought. She felt a pang of excitement jolt through her body. And the best part was, she felt no guilt about this at all. She hurriedly jumped out of bed and dressed in a flowing blue dress trimmed with pearls and hippogriff teeth. She wasn't surprised to smell pancakes coming from the kitchen downstairs. She slowly made her way down the stairs, careful not to trip over her beautiful dress. Harry, standing by the stove, did a tiny gasp. His wife was gorgeous.
"Good morning, dear," said Ginny. "Why are you cooking? It's our anniversary. We should eat breakfast out. As a treat."
"Oh, I don't mind cooking... for you," said Harry as he made sure the food didn't burn. Ginny made note of Harry's face, which was slightly pink. His eyebrows were raised innocently.
"Oh, Harry," Ginny sighed, making a lovesick face at Harry, whose face turned a darker shade of pink. Ginny walked over to him and gave him a peck on the lips, and again noticed Harry's face, which was now almost completely red. This man really does love me, Ginny thought. Excellent.
Just then, their Muggle telephone rang. Ginny lazily grasped the receiver, put it to her ear, and said, "Hello?" A familiar voice shouted at her from the other end.
"HELLO," said the voice.
Ginny giggled. "Ron, you don't have to shout."
"Sorry! Hermione and I just wanted to say happy anniversary! You've been married... what? Five years?"
"No, Ron, just one! How are you and Hermione coming along?" inquired Ginny.
"Ah, just fine, just fine. Actually, wonderful! Have you heard? Hermione's expecting our first child!" Ron exclaimed.
"That's wonderful! When is it due?" asked Ginny, filled with genuine excitement.
"In November, sometime around the 14th, I think... I can't remember exactly what the Healer said. Hmm? Oh, 'Mione says I was right, it is the 14th!"
"Wow! I can't wait!" said Ginny.
"Me neither!" said Ron. "Oh, sorry, Gin, I have to go now... forgot to tidy up after I ate."
"All right, bye Ron!" said Ginny.
"Bye!"
Ginny hung up the telephone. She was excited about the news she had just received, and she had to tell someone. She blurted it all out to Harry, who stood there (while the pancakes burned on the stove) with his mouth wide open. "I can't believe it, Harry, I'm going to be an aunt!" Ginny shouted.
"And I'm going to be an uncle!" said Harry excitedly.
"Oh yes..." said Ginny uncertainly. "Harry! The pancakes! They're on fire!"
Harry frantically searched for his wand, which had the slightest crack running through the middle, from when it had broken. Thankfully, Harry could still use it, since he had repaired it back in 7th year at Hogwarts with the Elder Wand. Harry wasn't sure if the two pieces of the Elder Wand were still there under the stone and concrete that was preserved in memory of how Harry had defeated Voldemort.
"AGUAMENTI!" he shouted. A jet of water burst out from his wand and onto the fire that was their breakfast. Harry then Vanished the soggy pancakes and he and Ginny decided that they'd go out for breakfast. While Harry rushed upstairs to find a nice pair of shoes, Ginny magically cleaned up the kitchen. Again, she heard the phone ring. She hastily picked it up and said, "Hello?"
"Hello, Ginny dear, it's Mum," responded the voice at the other end.
"Mum! How nice to talk to you again," said Ginny, her eyes darting nervously around the room.
"Ginny, I wanted to wish you a happy anniversary! You sound rushed. Are you okay?"
"Oh yes, Harry and I were just about to leave for breakfast."
"Well, dear, I don't want to keep you for long. If you need to go, then by all means, do! I'm not stopping you from having a wonderful day with your lovely husband."
"Ah, Harry's taking a while to find his shoes. I think we have a bit of time to kill. I have a question for you, Mum," Ginny said.
"Anything, dear."
"Well, I wanted to ask you if you could tell me the story of the three brothers and Death, remember? Could you tell me that one?"
"Yes, Ginny, but don't you know it by heart yet? I used to tell you that one so often when you were small! Until it started scaring the heck out of you... Well, I'll tell you anyway. There were once three brothers who were traveling when they came across a river made by Death. Most people drowned, but the three brothers found a way to get across. Death was upset, but promised to grant each of the three brothers a gift of his own making. The first brother asked for an unbeatable wand. This wand could win any duel. The second brother asked for a Resurrection Stone. This Stone could bring back any person from the dead. The brother used it to bring back his dead fiancee. But there was a problem. His fiancee had a miserable life again, because the living world was no longer where she belonged. Death, when the time came (which was quite early), took the lives of both brothers. But the third brother asked for an Invisibility Cloak. Death reluctantly handed over his own Invisibility Cloak to the brother. This brother eluded Death for a long time under his Invisibility Cloak and lived a long life. There, Ginny, is that good?"
"Yes, Mum, that was wonderful. Aren't the three gifts known as the Deathly Hallows?"
"Yes, but no one is sure that they actually exist. Of course, there is such thing as an invisibility cloak, but they have Invisibility Charms placed upon them, and they wear off after a short time."
"And about the Stone... is the person brought back to life always miserable?" asked Ginny.
"Darling, I do not know, I'm not sure if I even believe such objects exist. You are a curious girl, aren't you!"
Ginny smiled and laughed lightly. "Oh, Harry's found his shoes, we'd best be going now."
"Good-bye, Ginny, and tell Harry that I wish him a happy anniversary too!"
"Okay, I will. Bye, Mum!"
"Bye!" she said as Ginny once again hung up the phone.
"That was a long talk," said Harry. Ginny smiled. She took the Muggle car keys. She knew they'd be driving, not Apparating, because Harry preferred Muggle restaurants over wizarding ones. Ginny let Harry have the honor of choosing the restaurant. This greatly pleased Harry, and he chose his favorite Muggle restaurant, which included dishes such as fried shrimp topped with expensive herbs, roast pork lined with rosemary, and spaghetti with marinara sauce and ricotta cheese. "My pleasure," said Harry, pointing to his order (baked turkey sprinkled with pepper).
"Turkey... for breakfast? You're crazy, Harry. I'll have the Deluxe Pancakes topped with... butter and strawberries."
They sat down at a small table tucked away in the corner of the restaurant, near some windows. Ginny gazed outside at the birds, hoping that they could make the world happy for the short time that they could. She furrowed her eyebrows, thinking. Maybe if she... yes. She'd be forced to. If this was what she wanted, then they had to go. Ginny would miss them.
Meanwhile, Harry was staring intently at Ginny. He could almost see the gears turning in her head. This was a talent of Harry's. He could almost always figure out what his beautiful wife was thinking about. He couldn't do the same with anyone else- only Ginny. Perhaps it was because he loved her so much. He simply adored her. He loved how her flaming red hair swished from side to side when she walked. He loved how her eyes shined when she laughed. If only she would laugh more often. Harry could write many pages listing all of the things he loved about his wife. She was funny, pretty, and sweet, and these were only a few of all of Ginny's great qualities.
But this time, Harry could not fathom his wonderful wife's thoughts. "What are you thinking about, Gin?" he queried.
"I was wondering how birds stay up. Hard to believe I've never actually known," Ginny replied easily. "There's our food," she said, pointing to a well-dressed man holding a plate of food, coming their way.
"Who was it that ordered the... turkey?" asked the waiter, trying to hide a smile.
"That would be... me," said Harry, embarrassed.
"Your food selection is quite... unique," said the waiter. "I assume these Deluxe Pancakes are for you, ma'am?" he said, gesturing towards Ginny and smiling. Harry's eyebrows went down again, showing that he was upset. Nobody messes with my Ginny, he thought. Ginny said, "Yes, that is correct," indifferently. The waiter slumped away. In the background, Ginny could hear, "Posture, Ferrardo!" from the manager of the restaurant. The waiter, Ferrardo, reluctantly straightened his back and walked slowly back to the kitchen.
As the couple enjoyed their food, Harry was thinking about how to address Ginny's problem of being solemn and depressed often. Should he ask her straight out, or should he slowly make his way into that zone of conversation? It was unlike Harry to be rude, but this was urgent. He wanted his smiling, laughing, joking wife back. She seldom laughed or joked anymore.
"Ginny," he said. "You're never cheerful anymore. What happened?"
"Oh, um... I guess I'm just stressed. What with my low paycheck... I guess I just get stressed a lot," she quickly said.
"And you always sound like you're lying to me, Ginny. Why are you lying? Is there something you need to tell me?"
"No! I just told you! I'm stressed!" Ginny said nervously and a bit angrily.
Harry sighed. "Ginny, I love you, now let's just enjoy the rest of our anniversary together. Okay?"
"Okay." Harry paid for their breakfast and they walked out the door together. They stepped into their car, as Ginny was thinking about her current situation. Everything... this would be for the better. Whose better? asked a voice in Ginny's head. Everyone's better. I know, answered Ginny. But how do I work this all out? It could take years... Another voice came into her head. This time it was her mum's voice. "But no one is sure that they actually exist." Ginny glared, and furiously thought, But I am sure. It only makes sense!
"Ginny, are you mad at me? You seem to be upset..." said Harry. Ginny shook her head. He could be so annoying sometimes. But no worries. Nothing lasts long anymore.
Harry and Ginny walked into their home.
"What would you like to do?" Harry asked.
"I think I'll go rest for a while," said Ginny. She made her way up the stairs to their bedroom. Ginny flopped down onto their bed, thinking. Ministry of Magic first, she thought. That way they couldn't stop her. But how? George might have some ideas... yes! Ginny had it. Consciousness Draught ought to do the trick. Then... well, she could work that out later. For now, she had to work on something else. Ginny ran downstairs to her husband. "Harry," she called. Harry was in the living room staring at their television that he had bewitched to change channels by itself whenever he wished.
"Yes, darling?"
"I was wondering, do you still have your old Invisibility Cloak?"
"Yes, Ginny, it's in the basement... why?"
"Just wondering... my job might require me to inspect it," Ginny said. "Oh, and Harry, I think I'll go to the library before lunch, is that okay?"
"Yes, dear, whatever you wish."
So Ginny Apparated to the library (since it wasn't a Muggle one). She mumbled under her breath while scanning the books, "Nonfiction... dangerous... Harry Potter, Harry Potter... Harry Potter... gee, there are a lot of 'dangerous' books about him! Hally's Guide To... WHAT?"
A library witch gave her a stern look. Ginny apologized and continued searching. "Hally's Guide to Girls... Hally's Guide to Boys... Hallows! Aha!" She took the old and worn book off the shelf. On the cover was a sticker that said, "Magically Updates Itself!" She carefully opened the fragile cover and looked at the table of contents. Would it have the information she needed? Yes! "Owners and Such... page 277" should be right. Ginny carefully turned the pages. Finally she got to page 277. She scanned the pages of that chapter, hoping to find a name she knew. There, at the bottom of the page! It said "Harry Potter- Invisibility Cloak. Harry Potter- Resurrection Stone. Harry Potter- Elder Wand." Ginny almost screamed with joy. Harry- her Harry!- had owned all three of the Deathly Hallows! Ginny could hardly believe her luck. Now all she had to do was talk to Harry. Ginny hurried up to the desk where a library witch was sitting. Ginny informed the witch that she would be borrowing Hallows: The Ultimate Handbook and the witch mentally commanded her quill to record it. Ginny cried, "Thanks!" as she rushed out the door to find a non-crowded place to Apparate back to her home. When she ended up at the Burrow, she laughed at herself. She must have thought of the wrong home! She then Apparated directly into the living room of her and Harry's house, where Harry was still lounging on the couch.
"Why are you so excited?" asked Harry.
"Well, I came across a book and I found out that you were the last owner of all of the Deathly Hallows! Is it true?" inquired Ginny.
"Yeah," replied Harry.
"Wow! Do you still have them?"
"No... the Stone I dropped in the Forbidden Forest and the Elder Wand is where the old Hogwarts ruins are. Why are you all of a sudden interested in the Deathly Hallows?"
"I guess it's just a new interest of mine. You know how that happens."
Harry laughed. "Yeah, I do," he said. "Now what to do for lunch?"
"Oh, it doesn't matter. Anywhere's fine," said Ginny.
"How about a casual place? Say... aha! I've got it. You can go change out of your dress," suggested Harry. So Ginny hurried up the stairs to change. Harry heard the phone ring. He easily Accio'd it, and said "Hello?"
"Oh, hi Harry. It's me, George! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!" shouted Harry's brother-in-law.
"Hey, George! Thanks! What's new?"
"Baby Freddie's started walking! He'll only walk towards the cat, though... and that's to try to wring its neck..."
"That's great, George! The walking part, I mean. Looks like he's taken after you!" exclaimed Harry.
"Dunno how Angelina feels about that, though..."
Harry laughed. "Oh, there's Ginny. We were just about to go out for lunch. Thanks for calling!"
"No problem! Tell my little sis happy anniversary! Bye Harry!"
"Bye!" said Harry, smiling. "George said to tell you happy anniversary," he told Ginny.
"Oh. That's nice. Where are we going? Another Muggle place?" asked Ginny.
"Yes," said Harry. "But I'm not telling exactly where yet." Harry took the keys. They got into their car. They drove in peace, Harry staring at the road ahead and Ginny staring out her window at the sky, they flowers, the people- everything. Some of them she'd be able to let go. Some of them... well, it was all for the better. Again, a little voice asked, Whose better? Ginny brushed it away. Everyone's better. Especially hers. After all, it was their fault.
Harry parked the car in the parking lot of the restaurant. They walked inside. The menu had things such as chicken nuggets, hamburgers, and fried potatoes. Ginny chose a hamburger, and Harry ordered a double cheeseburger with extra onions and pickles. Harry paid, and after they received their food, they started to walk to a table. Sitting down, they unwrapped their food from its package and hungrily devoured as big of bites as they could possibly fit in their mouths. Ginny said not a word, but thought about her childhood (which she did a lot lately). She remembered how her family disliked her because she was the only girl. Ron was the kindest, but even he didn't like her all that much. Of course, now they didn't mind her, now that they were all married and used to girls. She remembered how when she, Fred, and George acted up, Mum would scold the twins. But she gave Ginny a few spankings, for "going along with what everyone else says" and "behaving like a boy." But when Harry or Hermione was around, her family treated her as if she was another normal member of the Weasley family. She remembered that one time before the start of her first year, Harry was staying at her home, the Burrow, with Ron. At that time, Ginny had an enormous crush on Harry. When she had come down the stairs, she was surprised to see Harry and accidentally stared at him for a moment. She had run back upstairs in shock, and her mum didn't say anything about the incident. But as soon as Harry wasn't around, Mum had scolded her, saying that staring was rude and to never stare again, or the consequences would be severe. Ginny was only eleven then, and couldn't imagine any more severe punishments than the ones she was getting then. But as she got older, her regular punishments for silly things did get more severe- too severe to think about at the moment.
She hated her family then. She still did, a little bit. But just thinking of all her bad childhood memories made her hate everyone. Everyone in the world. Except Harry. She loved Harry, but thinking about what would happen soon made her eyes water. But Ginny knew it was all for the better, every bit of it. She'd miss Harry the most, but it was for the better. But that annoying voice in her head again asked, Whose better? Ginny angrily thought back to herself, EVERYONE'S! But why did the voice keep asking the same question? Was Ginny unsure of something?
Another memory came back to her. She remembered how once, in the summer before fourth year, she had done something wrong again (she couldn't remember what) and her mum yelled at her. But it wasn't her normal yelling. This time, Mum was yelling a serious threat. "GINEVRA MOLLY WEASLEY! I SWEAR, IF YOU DO THAT ONE MORE TIME, I WILL KILL YOU!" she had shouted. Ginny didn't think that Mum could really kill her. But ever since then, Ginny couldn't stand the sight of any potential weapon. Ginny had developed a new fear- the fear of her own death.
Ginny's mind sprang back to the present when Harry asked, "Memories?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, childhood memories..." said Ginny.
Harry smiled and continued stuffing his face with onions and pickles that had fallen off his burger.
"You're disgusting," said Ginny. "And your breath is going to stink."
"I don't care!" said Harry.
Ginny rolled her eyes.
When Harry was done eating, they left the restaurant and got into their car. Harry pulled out of the parking lot and into the road. Harry accelerated, because the light was green, and so were all the lights behind it. Or, almost all of them. Harry didn't see a light turn to red right away, so he slammed on his brakes. So did the driver behind him, but not in time. The driver's car collided with the Potters' car. Ginny screamed. Harry was startled, but did not shout. He protectively put his arms around Ginny, who was now sobbing.
"Ginny, Ginny, are you all right?"
Ginny, of course, was all right, she was only scared. Well, more like terrified.
"You're not hurt?" asked Harry.
"No," said Ginny, still sniffling. "Only scared to death." She shuddered at the thought of death. Another tear dripped down her face.
"There, there," said Harry soothingly. "It's okay." He kissed Ginny's cheek and she smiled.
But the driver of the car behind them stepped out of his smashed car and started swearing at them.
Harry rolled his eyes and put his head in his hands. He didn't know what to do in a crash; he didn't drive much. "What do we do?" he asked Ginny. Ginny simply reached into her back pocket and pulled out her wand. She modified the memories of all who saw the crash and then magically repaired both damaged cars.
"Thank you so much..." said Harry. "I'm not really good at quick thinking like that."
"No problem," replied Ginny as they got into their seats once again.
In the car, Ginny began another train of thought. Maybe Harry could be first. That way, she'd be a third of the way there. But how? Avada Kedavra ought to do it... but even still, she could only hope that she'd get what she wanted from Harry. Well, she'd get it somehow.
They pulled into their driveway. Hand in hand, they walked inside.
"Ginny, I haven't given you an anniversary present yet," said Harry excitedly. "You'll love it!"
"Then I have to give you yours," said Ginny. She rushed upstairs and reached into her closet and got out a nicely wrapped gift for Harry. She brought it down to where Harry was now sitting on the couch with a square present on his lap.
"Yours first," said Ginny. She handed him his present, which he eagerly unwrapped.
"An owl!" he exclaimed. A baby barn owl stared at him from within the cage. Harry peered inside and saw something lying on the bottom of the cage. Reaching in, he cried, "Honeydukes Best Chocolate!" He hugged Ginny cheerfully. "What should we name the owl?" he asked.
"Um... well, it's a girl, so..." Ginny thought out loud.
"Aha! Minerva!" said Harry.
"That's perfect!" agreed Ginny.
Harry set the other present on Ginny's lap. She carefully undid the wrapping paper. When she got it all off, she saw a shimmering, almost transparent fabric waiting there for her. "Your Invisibility Cloak?" she asked, surprised.
"Yes," said Harry. "You like it?"
"I love it, Harry! Thank you so much!" she cried. She gave Harry a kiss on his lips. Harry turned red (as he always did) with pleasure as he kissed her back. When they broke apart, Harry took Minerva out of her cage and Ginny put on the Cloak. When Harry turned around to show Ginny the owl up close, he couldn't find her! "Ginny? Where'd you go?" He reached out his hand, expecting to feel nothing but air. But instead, his hand met something solid. He felt around. His hand found Ginny's mouth, nose, then the top of her head. He closed his fingers and tugged off the Cloak. Ginny giggled. Harry smiled and set the calm owl on her shoulder.
"Aww... she's so cute!" sighed Ginny.
This was her best day ever. She had received the best gift ever, had a wonderful breakfast and lunch, and they owned a pet owl. Ginny would never forget this day. And about the present... this was great! Now she didn't have to... well, do that curse on Harry! And she was one third of the way there! To her ultimate goal!
Ultimate goal? What is your ultimate goal? asked that voice again. To overcome death, her normal voice answered. But the one annoying voice sounded skeptical when it asked, Are you sure? Ginny rolled her eyes and thought back, Yes.
Ring! Ring! The phone interrupted her thoughts. She ran to pick it up. "Hello?"
"Hello, sister. Happy anniversary," said Percy, her brother.
"Hey, Percy, thanks!" said Ginny.
"That is all," Percy said.
"You don't want to talk?" asked Ginny, disappointed. She didn't talk to Percy very much.
"I can't. I'm busy."
"Fine. Bye, Percy."
"Good-bye."
Ginny hung up and ran back to Harry, who was sitting on the couch trying to avoid being bitten by the owl.
"Here, let me hold her," offered Ginny. Harry handed Ginny the owl and turned on the television. But the phone rang again. Harry got up to answer it. Ginny could hear him talking in the other room.
"Hello? Oh, hi boss... what? When? TOMORROW? But why?... Okay... thanks... bye."
"What was that all about?" inquired Ginny.
"Well, that was my boss from work. I have to go out of town- er, out of country for my job. I'm not sure exactly. And I have to leave tomorrow. I'll only be gone for a couple of days, though."
"Oh, I'm sorry, Harry. I think I can manage without you..." Ginny joked. Harry smiled and went upstairs to pack his bags.
While he was upstairs, Ginny devised a plan. This was great... Harry would be gone, so she wouldn't have to lie about going to Hogwarts. Hogwarts! Ginny was the tiniest bit excited. But she would be there for business. Not fun, not memories. She'd have to remember that.
Now what did Harry say? "The Stone I dropped in the Forbidden Forest and the Elder Wand is where the old Hogwarts ruins are." The Stone would be easier to hide; she'd have to get that one first. The she could go to the ruins to get the Elder Wand. But she could be seen... that was a risk. But wait! She had the Invisibility Cloak! No one could see her. But there was another problem. How would she get into the Hogwarts grounds? She didn't even know where it was. She had only ridden on the Hogwarts Express to get there. Yes! That was they key! Wearing the Cloak, she could sneak onto the Hogwarts Express with the students going back from their spring break.
Just then, Harry appeared with a loud crack beside Ginny. Ever since he learned how to Apparate, he really loved to do it. It annoyed Ginny most of the time. But then again, a lot of things annoyed her. Harry wasn't usually one of them, but when either of them was in a bad mood, Ginny couldn't stand to be around him.
Harry smiled when Ginny roller her eyes at him. He sat down next to her on the couch and looked into her eyes (he liked to do that). "What should we do until dinner?"
"Stare into each other's eyes?" Ginny joked.
"Okay," said Harry seriously.
So they stared into each other's eyes. Harry really didn't want to leave the next day, but it was necessary. There was an escaped prisoner running about and it was Harry's job to help catch him. It was a tad dangerous, but Harry knew loads of spells that would help.
Ginny didn't want Harry to leave either. She loved him, whether Harry thought so or not (he did). Even still, Ginny was a little bit excited for Harry to go, because of her plan. It was her lifelong dream! Her ultimate goal! Why else would she be going through all this work?
It became a staring contest. Ginny's eyes started to water. Harry's eyes were fine. He was too distracted to think about his own eyes. He was looking at Ginny's eyes. She had such pretty eyes. Harry was certain that Ginny wouldn't get into trouble while he was gone (he didn't know Ginny's plan, of course), but he didn't want to leave her alone anyway. What if she got lonely? What would she do?
Ginny finally blinked. She smiled and said, "I lose!" Harry laughed and then realized that his eyes hurt. He blinked. He sighed.
"I don't want to go tomorrow," confessed Harry. "I've never been anywhere alone before, and I'm nervous. And I don't want to leave you."
"I'll be fine. But I'd like to go with you, Harry. I know you can do it. You're brilliant at this stuff," said Ginny.
Harry, even though he knew he was, said modestly, "No, I'm not."
"Yes, you are, Harry. I know you can do it, and you do too. It's not like it's Voldemort. But you even defearted him! If you can do Voldemort, you can definitely get some other wizard," reassured Ginny. "And you won't be doing it alone. There'll be other people helping you out."
All this made Harry feel quite a bit better. Now, he wasn't as nervous about leaving the next day.
"So," said Ginny, "where are we going to eat for dinner?"
"How about here?" suggested Harry.
"Okay. I'll cook this time," said Ginny, smiling. "Does pasta work with you?"
"Sure," answered Harry.
While she cooked, Ginny planned. What would she do after she had found all the Hallows? If she was going to... do that curse on everyone, she'd need to make sure she didn't get caught. She would do the Ministry of Magic first, but how? She would somehow let loose Consciousness Draught, then they would breathe it in, then when they were unconscious she could drag them somewhere to... do that curse. This would be hard for Ginny. She'd never done that particular curse before. It would also be emotionally difficult because she didn't like death. She'd get used to it, of course, if she was going to do everyone in the whole world. Then, she'd bring them back with the Resurrection Stone, and they'd be miserable. She would have to get rid of all things good, so everyone would be even more miserable. Birds, flowers, etc.
"Almost done with the food? These shows are all so boring," Harry called from the living room. "And this owl's getting hungry. We don't have any owl food yet!"
"Yes, I'm almost done. And I ordered some owl food... disguised as cat food. These Muggle drivers really are slow..."
The doorbell rang. Harry sprinted to the door, where a man dressed in brown was standing. He was holding an enormous box. "You order cat food?" he asked.
"Um, yeah. Thanks," said Harry. He closed the door and opened the box. Tons of boxes of owl food spilled out. Harry opened one box and poured some food onto his hand. He offered it to the owl, who gladly started nibbling it out of his hand.
"Food's ready," called Ginny from the kitchen. Harry eagerly put down the owl food and rushed into the dining room to sit down for dinner. Ginny came out with their food, and Harry licked his lips. As usual, Ginny served Harry some food, and then herself. Then they both dug their forks into their meals and began to devour their overly large servings of pasta. They didn't talk much during dinner; mainly they ate. Harry snarfed down his food greedily and the helped himself to seconds. Ginny carefully twirled hers around her fork and then inserted it into her mouth. She rolled her eyes upon seeing Harry's messy face many, many times.
After dinner, Harry decided that he would go to bed early since he would be getting up very early the next morning. Ginny reluctantly agreed, then decided herself that she would also go to sleep early, since there was nothing to do without Harry. If being without him for a mere eight hours was like this, how would she survive for a few days without him? She would be busy, of course, but she would still miss her husband.
Lying in bet, she decided that now might be the best time to work out details of her plan. So after she got both of the Deathly Hallows at Hogwarts, she would- well, might as well say the word- kill everyone. But what about Harry? Ginny didn't want to lose him. But he'd probably kill himself sooner or later because of depression. Might as well be sooner, that way there'd be less emotional pain for Ginny. After everyone was well dead, Ginny could bring them back with the Resurrection Stone. Then she'd destroy all things good to make them even more miserable.
Could dead people kill? Ginny didn't think so. That was good. After everyone was dead, she wouldn't need the Hallows any more. No one could kill her!
But Ginny started having second thoughts. Wouldn't she be lonely, all by herself? Ginny began to get nervous. Another thing Ginny hated was loneliness. It didn't scare her, exactly, but she just didn't like it. Maybe her whole plan was ruined. She hadn't thought much about herself when she was planning. And should she tell Harry about all this? Ask his opinion? No, that might not be a good idea.
Ginny took her mind off of her situation and focused on trying to get to sleep. Finally, after a few minutes, Ginny forgot everything and fell asleep.
But she was awakened in the middle of the night by a yell of "!" It was Harry, sweating and panting beside her.
"Did you have a nightmare, Harry?" Ginny asked, concerned.
"Yes," Harry replied, still panting. "I think I'll go downstairs and get myself a glass of water. Want any?"
"Sure," answered Ginny.
Harry, wiping his forehead, got up and slowly walked down the steps. He kept a small supply of Veritaserum (a truth-telling potion) in a cabinet above the sink. Harry dripped two drops into Ginny's water, even though he knew it would only last a couple of minutes. Now, he would be able to find out what was up with Ginny recently. He fixed himself a glass, then carried both upstairs. He handed Ginny her water and he took a sip of his own.
Harry made sure Ginny had drunk some of her water before he asked, "So what's been taking over your mind recently?" with a smile.
"My plan," Ginny said simply.
"Which would be..." prompted Harry.
To get all the Deathly Hallows so I can overcome death. Then I'll somehow kill everyone (except you, maybe) and bring them back with the Resurrection Stone. Then they'll all be miserable. But to make them even more so, I'll get rid of all things good and cheery."
"Why?"
"Because I hate everyone (except you). They never treated me fairly when I was little."
"But they do now! And anyway, that was only your family, not everyone on Earth."
"I don't care. I'm so angry."
"Why do you want to overcome death?" asked Harry, rather calmly.
"I'm scared of it, I guess. My mum once threatened to kill me when I was small," confessed Ginny.
"And you like this plan? Because I sure don't."
"Well... I think I might be lonely without everyone. So I don't know."
"I know that you don't like being alone. And I don't want you to be alone, either. Are you going to follow through with this?" inquired Harry.
"I don't know, I don't know, I don't know anything!" Ginny started to cry.
"Don't cry, Ginny. Please don't cry! Do you want my opinion?"
Ginny kept sobbing and didn't answer him. Harry could tell that the Veritaserum wore off.
"I think you shouldn't do it. What do you think?"
Ginny was silent, thinking about how to answer his question.
"I think... I should... not do it," Ginny replied slowly.
"Is that what you really think?" asked Harry.
"Yes," said Ginny.
"You promise you won't kill a single person or try to go get the Deathly Hallows?"
"Promise," said Ginny, sniffling.
Harry said, "Thank you," and scooped Ginny up in a big bear hug.
Harry kept his arms wrapped around Ginny for a few minutes. Then Ginny asked, "There was Veritaserum in my water, wasn't there?"
"Yes, but I'm glad you told me all that."
"Me too," said Ginny.
Ginny hadn't achieved what she thought was her ultimate goal. But it was all for the better.