Author's Note: I don't normally like to post new multi-chaps when I am still stuck on a current WIP. But maybe it is what I need to get back into things.

Warnings: This is a Dark!Hermione. Not grey, not redeemable. Dark.

Triggers will only be posted on this chapter but can be anywhere in the fic: NSFW. Violence/Blood/Smut/Torture etc. Strictly Mature readers.

Concrit welcome. If you do not like, please do not read.

End Game Pairing will be revealed eventually... But it could be either Tomione (Glamoured Voldemort) or Lumione.

Enjoy

Chapter 1

She couldn't really pinpoint the exact moment she had changed. The moment where her thoughts started down a dark path…

Perhaps it had been when she had deuled Bellatrix earlier? Knowing she was the darkest witch Hermione had ever encountered and therefore she needed to be more creative in order to survive a fight with Bellatrix Lestrange… But no… The hate she felt bubbling up inside of her for the wild-eyed witch had been for a prior transgression…

Perhaps it had been as she had lain on that floor in Malfoy Manor? Writhing and screaming as pain coursed through her at the wand of said wild-eyed witch?

No. It had come earlier still…

When Ron had abandoned them. He had done what he had done before, he left. Harry and she had survived months alone without him then and the anger had festered for his betrayal inside of her. The anger was still inside her for that… And yet, it was still not the right moment.

Was it when she slowly realised that Headmaster Dumbledore had groomed them from the first year to fight this war? Groomed Harry to be his main pawn? That they had been manipulated and moved across a chessboard to make sure they were here at this exact moment to be the unwilling heroes? When she realised in the quiet of night that she suspected the Headmaster had left Harry with abusive relatives on purpose?

No… it was earlier still.

When she obliviated her parents without guilt? Sadness yes, sad to know she would never see her parents again. Sad because she loved her parents and was making herself an orphan. But guilt? Remorse? No.

Was it when she saw Dumbledore dead and realised she felt nothing? Because by then she had already started to realise inside that the Headmaster was manipulative and she thought he put children in too much danger to achieve his end for the greater good…When she had to pretend to be upset and cry at his death?

Or could it have been when she watched Draco Malfoy? When she realised she pitied him… Pitied a Death Eater who struggled to complete his task. Was it when she quietly followed him in the library and noticed what books he would reverently study? When she figured out what he was trying to do by eavesdropping when he was talking to Moaning Myrtle in the girls' toilet? When she defended him even knowing already he was what Harry accused him to be? Was it when she quietly left the right books to solve his problem in places he could find them? When she realised exactly how smart he was? How loyal to his family? When she realised she did not pity him anymore but respected him? When she realised she was sort of in love with him? When she showed herself to him that dark night in the stacks of the library….

She thinks it was earlier still.

Leading Dolores Umbridge to the Centaurs... Knowing full well what they would do to her. She didn't even blink or feel guilty. Placing that jinx on the DA member parchment? Knowing full well if anyone betrayed them they'd be scarred for life? Seeing Marietta Edgecombe actually scarred for life and not even experiencing an ounce of pity?

Keeping Rita Skeeter in a jar for months? Blackmailing her? Anger at Molly Weasley's judgement of her based off Skeeter's lies festering inside of her? Ron being angry at Harry for childish reasons and abandoning him for weeks?

Earlier?

Angry at Draco Malfoy for being a prick… enough to slap him in uncontrolled anger… Anger at Dumbledore for letting a Werewolf teach… Yes, Lupin was the best DADA teacher they had, but it was dangerous. Dumbledore should not have let him into a castle full of children. When Ron once again was a prick that refused to speak to her because of a stupid rat that was Peter Pettigrew anyway?

Maybe it was her anger at Draco when she realised exactly what his mudblood insult meant. It made her resentful and ambitious to prove to him that she was the best.

Or was it when Ron made her cry? Saying mean things about her that resulted in her crying in that bathroom where a troll almost killed her as a result.

It could have been when she found out she was a witch and the first emotion she had experienced was the satisfaction that she was officially better than her bullying school mates. Or when she tripped Helen Simmons to stumble down the stairs and break her arm for having mocked her earlier that day. She had been only nine when she did something so cold and calculatingly. Or perhaps when she hit Evan Johnson with that rock for throwing her book into the toilet when she was eight? Never even feeling bad about the six stitches he had to receive across his brow.

Somehow she thinks it was there always. Always pushing and waiting to be set free, perhaps she was born with darkness.

However, it may be. She at least knew the moment she snapped. The exact moment the darkness took over and her loyalty and friendship to everyone in the light stopped. It really was an instantaneous moment and so complete that she hasn't wavered from that point.

It was the moment Hermione watched a stray curse from Harry's wand hit Draco Malfoy and causing him to stumble mid-running and hit his head on a piece of builder… It swelled up inside of her in turmoil and boiling blackness that enveloped her in a blind rage. With red vision, she ran to Draco to see blood pooling around his head and his face slack as if sleeping. With a soft sob, she sank down on her knees next to him to feel his pulse with trembling fingers. Not caring who noticed.

There was no pulse. His skull had cracked open completely on one side upon impact with the sharp boulder. The fact that he had been sprinting when the curse hit him had made his impact harder and faster than it would have been if he had been stationary. Hermione lifted his head to see hair, blood and small pieces of brain matter coating the boulder and floor. She was vaguely aware of Mrs and Mr Malfoy skidding to halt beside her and dropping down to try and wake their son who's head she now cradled in her lap. But she knew it was too late.

He was dead. Before she could ever even admit to anyone that she had loved him. This pale boy that she had shadowed in sixth year… The one that had been mean to her for the first few years but which had rather lead her to prove her worth than sulk about it. The boy that was so much more than Harry and Ron could ever believe him to be. The wizard who's eyes had locked to hers as his aunt tortured her on his drawing room floor, who's gaze kept her tethered and her mind in the present… He was dead.

Harry had killed him.

She realised that the elder Malfoy's were both crying as they clutched his limp hands… not even attempting to remove his head from her lap where she stroked his hair as tears dropped on his cheeks. For a brief moment, it didn't matter who she was… they were just three people who had lost someone they loved and mourned together.

She looked up then.

Her watery brown eyes meeting their crying grey and blue eyes. A moment of perfect synchronicity passing between them. At that moment she knew that they understood, that they knew what he was to her. Then she lowered her face to place a trembling kiss to the pale wizard's forehead before gently lifting his head to the ground and standing up with slow and deliberate movements. Her eyes hardened then as it zeroed on Harry Potter where he was preparing to face off with Voldemort. He had killed Draco before he even had a chance to redeem himself in the postwar world. Before he even had a chance to become what she knew he could be…

Before they could show the world that she loved him.

Hermione lifted her wand and moved purposely between the fighting bodies while slinging hexes without noticing to anyone trying to deter her. She didn't even stop to see who she hexed, it could have been anyone from any side. She finally reached the two figures circling each other as the rest of the hall's fighters slowly stopped to watch the two finally face each other off.

She had one goal.

Voldemort didn't know that he lost all his Horcruxes… Nor did he know that he wasn't the owner of the Elder Wand. He didn't know that Harry had been prepped completely to defeat him today. And she wouldn't let that happen. She needed Voldemort.

And that was the day, the moment that Hermione Granger had snapped. When darkness finally took control.

She had calmly walked right up to the two wizards as Harry started to talk to Voldemort. She fluidly disarmed Harry from the side before he could reveal any crucial information and at the same instant jumped and grabbed hold of Voldemort and disappeared with a loud pop. Changing everything at that moment with those two actions.

Leaving the entire hall's occupants in silent shock at what they had just witnessed; right before all hell broke loose as the dark side started disappearing and the light side tried to stop them.

The war still not over.

XXX

The two figures appeared in the middle of a dusty cottage. Before Hermione could blink the elder wand pressed into her throat as a very angry Voldemort hissed at her. "What have you done!"

Hermione lifted her hands to show surrender as she met his red eyes unflinchingly. "I saved you. You were going to die."

Voldemort hissed through his thin lips as he stepped back indicating that he was giving her the chance to speak.

She didn't give him a second to reconsider, knowing how unstable he could be. "We destroyed all your Horcruxes… Including the unknowing one that resided inside Harry Potter himself. Why do you think he survived the second killing curse as well? You killed the piece of you that had attached itself to Harry on the night you tried to kill him as a baby… the night his mother sacrificed herself for him and thus creating the strong magic that protected Harry most his life." She could see his eyes narrowing upon her words and knew she had given him new information. "If you die now… you will be dead."

Voldemort surged forward to once more press his wand to her cheek with something akin to a growl, "And who's to say I wouldn't have killed him? If what you say is correct… he would also die now-"

Hermione interrupted him sharply then, "No. You would have died. The elder wand won't turn on its true master."

That got his attention she realised, his eyes widened perceptibly. "Explain."

"You thought that the wand only transferred allegiance with death… Snape killing Dumbledore… You killing Professor Snape… It in facts transfers allegiance to whoever defeats its prior owner… with any means. Disarment… force… And Dr-" her voice caught with his name, "Draco Malfoy had disarmed Dumbledore before Snape had killed him. The wand never belonged to Professor Snape."

She saw his thin lips compress with the newest revelation and decided to forge ahead. "Harry had then taken Draco's wand with force when we were captive in the manor. Making Harry the new wielder of the Elder Wand. So you see… the wand wouldn't have turned against its real master. You would have died. I saved you."

Voldemort stepped back further and lowered his wand, a deep contemplative look on his face then. Hermione stood still, waiting for him to show his next move. He didn't disappoint when he lifted his wand and cast a simple disarment and deftly caught her wand that flew from her hand.

"And now it belongs to me… I just defeated you." He kept a hold of her wand as she nodded in affirmation to him with a small smile. Voldemort started to pace up and down in front of her, not taking his eyes from her face as he twirled her wand in his free hand.

"The question now is, why? Why did Potter's mudblood sidekick not only save -" he spat out the word as if disgusted- "me, but also made sure to take over the wand's allegiance and then give it to me without protest?"

Hermione shrugged her thin shoulders. "Take a look into my mind. It will be quicker than talking."

Voldemort grimaced but surged forward to press the tip of the Elder wand to her temple, "Legilimens..."

Hermione felt him surge into her mind harshly. Breaking down her feeble natural barriers without hesitation. She didn't try to stop him, instead she pushed everything she thought he might find of interest forward. Her childhood memories of the muggle bullies at her primary school. Being called a freak and the ways she dealt with them. Her anticipation at finding out she's a witch… finally going to be somewhere she would belong. The realisation that she was just as much an outsider in the wizarding world as in the muggle world. Ron being mean and petty over and over again. Draco Malfoy being prejudiced… Dumbledore and his manipulations, her anger with it. Always only being good enough for doing everyone's homework. Always being restricted in what knowledge she may pursue… being watched by the adults whenever she wanted to work through the Black library. Seeing one day how many books were mysteriously gone from said library after returning to Grimmauld place the first time. Ron abandoning them, always. Harry choosing Ron over and over again regardless. Rita Skeeter. Dolores Umbridge. Draco. Ron. Draco…A kiss... A meeting...Draco. Harry killing Draco. She gave it all up on a silver platter for him.

Voldemort left her mind as suddenly as he entered leaning back to look at her contemplatively. "Who knew Potter's mudblood was a child of darkness? You found yourself in love with the Malfoy boy… now you want revenge. You do realise it's only your excuse to finally embrace what your soul is? Be as it may… you are mine now."

Hermione felt anger well up inside of her, why was he thinking she is merely using an excuse? She loved Draco. Draco Malfoy had awakened her in ways no one else ever had. And those stolen moments they had shared… That was it for her.

So, she squared herself and looked up at the Dark Lord without flinching at his inhuman appearance. "Believe what you will. I saved you and gave you the mastery of the Elder Wand… will you let me join you?"

The Dark Lord gave a dry laugh as he kept his eyes unblinkingly on her. "Join me? A mudblood? My followers will not like that…"

"Does it matter what they like? Besides… you need a new creed. Killing muggleborns will just exhaust the wizarding population and leave almost nothing to rule."

"Well, putting it like that… Let us adjourn to better surroundings for this little meeting." He hissed through his pointed teeth and with that he gave back her wand and with the same movement gripped her wrist and apparated them away with a quiet pop.