She waited for him to walk out of the door. She sat, not too far from where he would come out. Her long, bushy hair was now black and straight, her eyes green, and her face tweaked just enough to be unrecognizable. She couldn't remember how many times she'd done this before, but it had been going on for nearly three months, and she doubted it would stop soon.
The door opened and he walked out. He looked drastically different from his days at Hogwarts. He wore his red hair long, nearly as long as hers, to hide his "deformity" as he had once called it. She could tell, even under the cloak and robes, that he had gained serious muscle. She could see the traces of scars on his face and noticed the lack of the twinkle in his eyes and mischievous grin on his face. She got up and followed as he made his way down Knockturn Alley.
This had started when Hermione had been shopping in Diagon Alley and heard heckles and shouts coming from Knockturn. Looking in to investigate, she saw a crowd of filthy people surrounding something against the wall. She pushed her way through the crowd, and when she got to the front she saw two men slashing another with their wands. The man on the ground was putting up no fight. Instantly, she shouted "Expeliarmus!" and grabbed their wands. "I'm a ministry official. You have no right to assault this man—"
Suddenly the victim spoke, "Hermione, give them their wands back and leave." She looked closer at the man. Under the grime from the road, she recognized him.
"George!" She was so shocked, she barely noticed the men take their wands back and disapparate. "Why are you here? Where have you been?"
Standing up and dusting himself off, George looked at her dispassionately. "That is none of your business," he said and walked away.
"But we've all been so worried. Your mother is crazy with worry; we haven't seen you in over a year." She followed as she spoke. "You don't answer the door when any of us stop by, you don't send owls, you don't answer ours. Won't you stop in and see your mother at least?"
"No," was all he said, and then he turned down an alley and she couldn't follow any more.
His flagrant disregard for his health disturbed her. He had put up no fight against his assailants, and she worried that this was a common occurrence. She decided to make sure he was safe. That was why she followed him twice a week as he journeyed into Knockturn Alley on business ventures. When Fred had died, everyone knew George wouldn't be the same. In the four years since the war had ended, George had come to the burrow three times, all within a month of the final battle. He closed the joke shop, but remained in the apartment above. No one had seen him in years.
She kept a safe distance behind him, blending in to her surroundings as best as she could. A man jumped from behind a stand in front of her and crept toward George. She stunned him quietly and pushed him back from the road. This was what she did every trip. The inhabitants of Knockturn weren't too keen on war heroes, and they constantly tried to attack George. She continued following. When she looked forward, she noticed George's eyes on her. Quickly, she made herself interested in a stall of crawling things. When she looked back, he was gone.
Knowing where he was going, she turned down the street leading to his usual haunt. As she turned the corner, however, she found herself face-to-face with George. "Why are you following me," he asked in a low tone.
Deepening her voice, she said "I don't know what you're talking about." She tried to move passed him, but his strong body was unmoving.
"Do I look like an idiot, Hermione?" He saw through her charms easily. "Stop following me. I'm perfectly fine on my own."
"Not from what I've seen. You don't even try to defend yourself. If you won't take care of yourself someone has too," she said, starting to get angry.
He seemed angry as well. "It is none of your business. Go, now."
"No! I won't have your death on my conscience. You don't care if you are hurt, I can't leave you alone." His blue eyes narrowed and he backed her against the wall.
"I've lost everything. I'm not whole anymore." The anger in his face changed to anguish. "I don't feel anything but pain. It's like I'm dead already. If pain makes me feel something, some semblance of life, what's so wrong with that?"
Hermione softened. She could feel his body against hers, his breath against her lips, and she could help but become excited, even in his emotional state. "You haven't lost everything. You have a family that loves you, you have friends. People care about you, George. I care about you."
Her heart began to beat faster as he looked into his eyes. She could feel her nipples harden as his eyes narrowed and he moved closer to her. "Do you want to help me feel, Hermione?" he asked, rubbing his body against her, letting her feel his hardness. She closed her eyes, overwhelmed. "Tell me you want me," He whispered into her ear as he bit her lobe, hard.
"I want you."