A/N: Hi y'all, I want to apologize in advance for this long authors note but please read it before skipping down to the story.

Before you begin reading this story, please be aware that it is a Dark Hermione story with the Sevmione pairing. Hermione is of age in this story when the relationship with Snape comes in.

I would not consider this story to be completely canon compliant though there may be moments when it is and it does pick up around the time/events in Half-Blood Prince.

I am an American so some terms may be used incorrectly even though I have tried my best at researching, if they are please be kind enough to send me a pm and I will correct it.

This is also my first multi-chapter Harry Potter story.

If you have any questions regarding this story (or any of my other writing), feel free to send me a message and I'll do my best to answer your questions as long as it doesn't give away any of the plot.

The title "Regina Tenebris" means "Dark Queen" in Latin. As far as I know, there isn't another Dark!Hermione story with this title. If there is then I apologize for using the same title.

I have not set an update schedule for myself yet but when I do, I will be sure to let everyone know.

Disclaimer: I will only post this on this first chapter because I trust that everyone knows I don't own Harry Potter or any characters from the books/movies. They belong to the queen, JK Rowling.

Regina Tenebris

Chapter 1

Hermione laid down the knife and winced as a drop of blood fell into the bowl beneath her left hand.

"There's no going back now," she whispered to herself.

"Indeed there isn't. If you were not ready to go through with this, you should have spoken up before you shed your own blood."

She glanced up at the Potions Professor standing in front of her.

"Of course I'm ready for this, Professor. I've been preparing for this moment for months now."

"Yes, I am aware of that, Miss Granger. Since you have, as you say, been preparing for months now, I trust that you know what has to be done to complete this ritual and that you know of the consequences of such actions."

Hermione squeezed her hand into a fist, continuing to let the blood drip into the bowl.

"We have been over this before, Professor, I am not some silly girl that doesn't know what she is doing. I am confident in my abilities to complete the ritual and I fully understand the consequences. I do not need your help in any further so if you are going to second guess me and my ability to do this, then please see yourself out."

Professor Snape lifted his chin and studied the young witch before him.

He did not doubt her ability, nor did he doubt that she did not require him to assist her any further.

However, he knew that she would need someone on her side when others found out that she had done something that could only be described as foolish and dangerous.

"That is enough blood, possibly more than what is required, Miss Granger," he spoke as he continued to study her.

"I am well aware of that, Sir, but I am nothing if not thorough," she said as Professor Snape reached for her bloodied hand.

He placed the tip of his wand against the cut and within seconds the wound was healed, leaving behind a barely noticeable scar.

"I could have done that myself," she said, glaring at him.

He arched an eyebrow and dropped her hand.

"Very well then. You can heal any further wounds you may gain in this process."

As she picked up the bowl, she could feel her heartbeat begin to speed up.

She was sure of what she was doing.

She was sure this was the right way to go and that she wasn't making a catastrophic mistake.

This was the only way she knew to protect Harry.

She was doing this for him.

And for all of the Wizarding World.

Yes, she was sure of this and, as she had told herself before, there was no going back now.

1 September 1996

Hogwarts Express

Hermione's eyes fluttered open as Ginny gently shook her shoulder.

"We're almost to Hogwarts," Ginny said softly to her waking friend.

"How long was I asleep for?" Hermione asked as she rubbed her eyes.

"Not too long," Ginny replied. "Maybe an hour or so. I figured we should let you sleep since you had been up late last night. "

"Thank you for that," Hermione said as she gave her a small smile.

"Why were you up late?" Ginny asked quietly, leaning in towards Hermione.

Hermione shrugged and looked out the window, "I always read ahead in our books to make sure I know what's coming up and if I'll need to make extra time to study or practice."

Ginny leaned back and slapped her hand over her heart, eyes growing wide. "No," she gasped. "Hermione Granger was studying the night before school starts. I'm shocked! I can't believe she would do such a thing!"

Hermione shook her head, smiled, and with a chuckle she leaned back and then swatted her friend on the arm.

"What did I miss while I was asleep?"

"Not much, really," Ron said as he sat down across from Hermione and Ginny. "Harry been on about Malfoy being a Death Eater again."

"Really, Harry? I can't believe you're still on about that. None of us can be sure what we saw."

"They went into Borgin and Burke's, Hermione. He was clearly up to something."

"You know I have never doubted you, Harry," Hermione said. "But we can't jump to conclusions. We have to be careful and all we can do is watch Draco and all of Slytherin very closely."

Harry smirked.

"Oh, wipe that look off of your face, Harry Potter. I'm not saying you're right about Draco."

"Miss Granger, are you no longer with me?"

Hermione's head snapped up and then she quickly looked down and shook her head.

"Professor, I have to know, before I go through with this, was Harry right? Is Draco a Death Eater?"

"You know I cannot divulge such information but I can ask why you would think that to be true."

Looking up again, she glanced towards his arm and could see the tiny involuntary flinch his arm gave at her stare.

"I haven't seen Draco's arm as I have yours but before school started, Harry, Ron, and I saw Draco and his mum in Borgin and Burke's. There were others there that I did not recognize and they were all gathered around Draco and some rather large cabinet. Harry assumed that was his initiation into the Death Eaters, Ron thought he was overreacting because what would Voldemort want with a bloke like Draco, and I...I suggested to Harry that we simply keep an eye on him and all of Slytherin because we couldn't be sure of what we saw."

He arched an eyebrow once again and stepped towards her.

"I do not blame you for Mr. Potter's incessant prying but that was a foolish thing to do."

"I know it was, Sir, but at the time I couldn't let him think I didn't believe him. He would surely have been suspicious if all of a sudden I told him to back off and leave Draco alone. "

"And what would you have done, Miss Granger, if he had caught you sneaking into my classroom after hours?"

"Lie, of course. I already had a well rehearsed speech about how unfair it was that you gave me detention for being an insufferable know-it-all. I am sure he would have believed it. I am a Muggle-Born and you a Death Eater after all."

She let a smirk settle on her face as she saw the corners of his mouth twitch into his own smirk.

"You are quite the Slytherin, Miss Granger. Now," he said, looking her over and settling his gaze on the bowl of blood, "get on with it as we do not have all night for you to complete this."

She rolled her eyes. "We have until sunrise, Professor."

"Yes, but the ritual will take several hours to complete and it, as well as your magic, will be strongest at midnight which gives you only twenty minutes to prepare your blood and the ingredients."

She gave him a quick nod as she reached for the first ingredient.

Professor Snape had watched his student as she carefully prepared the blood and ingredients.

Had he been a teacher that praised his students, he would have done so in that moment.

She really was remarkably gifted and should she wish to continue her education after Hogwarts, he had no doubt that she would make a fine Potions Mistress.

He continued to watch her as she carefully picked up the bowl and walked towards the door.

"Well, Professor, are you coming outside or not?" she asked without turning back to look at him.

The area surrounding the Shrieking Shack was both the worst and ideal place to perform this particular ritual.

They both knew that being out in the open like this left them no cover should anyone see them but at the same time, this could not be done within the walls of the school or anywhere on the grounds, and it most certainly wasn't worth the risk of going into the Dark Forest where they left themselves vulnerable to whatever creatures stumbled upon them and even without the creatures within the Dark Forest, it wasn't worth the risk of the ritual backfiring and sending the forest and themselves up in flames.

Hermione placed the bowl on the ground and knelt next to it then tied her hair back into a ponytail.

"Remember to speak clearly and hold your wand at the precise angle," Professor Snape drawled.

"Yes, sir," she said quietly as she dipped her right index finger into the bowl then brought it up to her face, painting a line down the center from her hair to her chin.

She wiped her finger on her jeans and grabbed her wand, holding it steady as she began to speak.

"I call upon the powers of blood, the moon, and the earth

To free me from the binds of life and death

To grant me an eternal flame

So that I may walk the realms without fear"

A bright red glow emitted from the tip of her wand, swirling around inside the bowl.

She watched in awe as the glow began to slither up her wand like a snake and then curled itself around her arm.

Her eyes widened and her breathing became heavy as she watched and felt the tingling of magic slowly begin to surround her, engulfing her body in the bright red glow until Professor Snape could no longer see her.

He took a few steps back and squinted his eyes, silently hoping to catch a glimpse of this magic at work.

1 September 1996

Hogwarts Great Hall

"What are you reading?" Ginny asked Hermione as she sat down across from her.

"I'm not really sure. It's a book Sirius gave me when we were all at Grimmauld Place," Hermione replied. "It seems to be a book about old magic the Blacks have practised or either come across."

"Sirius gave you a book?" Ron asked, taking a seat beside Hermione.

"Well, I was looking around the library at Grimmauld and this book caught my eye. He saw me looking at it and said I could carry with me but to be careful and not let anyone else get their hands on it. I intended on carrying it back but I never got the chance. I eventually forgot I even had it until I found it in my trunk a few weeks ago."

Ron shook his head and filled his plate as he mumbled, "Honestly, 'Mione, we just got to school and you've already buried yourself in a book."

The red glow began to fade and Hermione gasped for air as it slowly turned into a thick, black cloud of smoke that still surrounded her.

"Pro...Professor," she chocked out, frantically turning her head in different directions. "I can't see anything."

"I am still here, Miss Granger," she heard him say though it was muffled.

"How much longer until this is complete?" she asked, knowing full well that it could continue on for as long as it wished to.

"I do not know," he replied.

The first rays of sunlight began to slip their way into the sky as the magic continued to swirl around Hermione, changing in color from red to black every so often.

Hermione could feel her knees aching from kneeling on them for so long.

"Please end soon," she thought to herself, too afraid to voice the plea.

As the sun continued to rise, the swirl turned grey and began to thin out.

After so long of being in the dark, Hermione was finally beginning to see the world around her again.

She squeezed her eyes shut and let out a deep breath.

"When this is over with," she reminded herself, "I can and will protect Harry."

When the last whisps of grey faded from around her, Professor Snape took careful steps towards her.

"Miss Granger?"

To Hermione's ears, he sounded almost worried and she couldn't help but think something had gone wrong and he could see it.

She slowly opened her eyes to see him kneeling in front of her.

He stumbled backwards with wide eyes and watched as the whites of her eyes turned black, engulfing the brown of her irises.

Before he had a chance to speak and voice his concern, the blackness faded and Hermione's lips curled into a sneer.

A/N: Don't hate me for this! Please let me know what y'all think. If it's absolutely horrible, I won't continue.

-A