Malfoy was there again the next day, and for every day following for the next month. Ginny avoided him, and he didn't say anything to the other waitresses. He ate, paid and left. If he had been anyone but Draco Malfoy, he wouldn't have been conspicuous.
The women continued to spike his food with Inner Turmoil powder. It didn't drive him away, but gave them some revenge over his continued presence nonetheless.
Hermione was in the cloak room putting on an overcoat as the first heavy rains of autumn were now upon them. She grumbled into the coat, Ginny helping to straighten her out.
"Bloody Snape, expecting me to work on a day like this." Ginny shrugged at her friend, knowing that her day would include running from apothecary to apothecary, then Snape would expect her to do some gardening, despite the downpour that was occurring. He would work beside her, but it still made the brunette angry.
"Bring him round for supper tonight," Ginny told her friend.
"You'll tell him off?" Hermione asked, knowing better. Ginny rolled her eyes at her friend, smiled at her smile.
"No, but I'd like to talk to him about our Malfoy problem."
Hermione frowned nervously. "Ok. He gives me the creeps, and I'm not sure why."
Ginny huffed impatiently. "He's a nasty piece of work, but he's just a person."
"Well, you're the one who broke in…" Ginny clapped a hand over her friend's mouth.
"Don't talk about that!" She hissed, letting go of Hermione after a second.
"Sorry. Brain's deserted me, these days." The sheepish look on her face told Ginny that she knew this wasn't good enough. Ginny rolled her eyes again.
"Get to work, girl. Tell Snape not to keep you out and wet all afternoon, or he'll answer to me."
Hermione raised an eyebrow, but gave her friend a fleeting smile as she left through the Wizarding exit of the building. Ginny went back to the kitchen, but not for long. She was going out to source a winter vegetable crop, and possibly another supplier for spring. Into her pocket she tucked a few gold-covered pearls. Today she would see Luna, Susan Bones and Justin Finch-Fletchly. She left the Wizarding way as well, though mostly to avoid being seen by Malfoy. She had avoided further contact with him since the first day he had appeared at the establishment to eat, and hoped that whatever effect the enchanted ring on her left hand was having on him, it would be lessened by lack of sight.
Ginny's long overcoat was black and charmed to keep the worst of the cold and wet out. She pulled the hood over her bright hair, braced herself to face the cold rain, and stepped into the back courtyard. She turned impatiently on one heel and apparated.
The alley she emerged from half a second later was muddy, but she ignored it. There was a bustle of people – Muggles – in the wide open space before her, numerous despite the dreary weather. There were men in heavy coats clucking around their produce, proudly showing off their late-season pumpkins, cabbages, carrots and tomatoes. Ginny smiled as she walked over to begin inspecting.
She visited three different markets that morning, chatting with different farmers and sounding out a good price for vegetables for the winter months. Eventually she settled on three separate farms, each producing slightly different crops and together providing enough supply for her increased clientele. A profitable morning. She bought some early parsnips to bring home.
Ginny returned to the Leaky Cauldron just before noon, entrusted the parsnips to Maude, ate quickly and left again. She had more visits to make.
Susan Bones was a quiet woman now, and a secretary for a large investment company. She turned the single golden sphere around in her hands, trailing the golden chain through her fingers. Ginny explained the little she safely could, and Susan reassured her that she would wear it.
Justin Finch-Fletchly took the golden bauble, raised an eyebrow, but wore it anyway. He looked at the house he was auditing. "Real estate isn't a great money-winner," he confided in Ginny. "But I'm paying off my own house now. Things seem to be stabilising." Ginny suspected her smile might have been bigger than the sentence warranted, but she took it as a sign that the pearls were spreading their influence.
Luna – tucked away in a tiny cottage in the far reaches of northern Scotland – ushered Ginny inside quickly. Ginny was glad, for the cold rain of southern England was freezing her coat stiff even in the Scottish sunshine. Luna waved her to a chair then proceeded to inform her of all the Snorkacks she had seen recently, as well as the rare Orange pixies she had spotted romping through her pumpkin patch the other day.
Eventually, Ginny shoved a sentence into the monologue. "Luna, I was wondering if you'd like to wear this necklace I've brought for you." The vacant blue-eyed eyes focussed sharply on the golden ball and chain.
"No," she said sharply. "Take that thing away from here. It will disrupt the ley lines here." Her eyes pierced Ginny. Ginny wondered how she could have considered this woman more than slightly insane five minutes ago. But then the lucidity faded from the blonde's expression. "And the Wimples will never leave me alone until they've stolen it: they are as bad as ravens for collecting things, you know…"
Ginny waited for the woman to wear herself out, then left politely, taking the jewellery with her.