Violet Hill by Coldplay was on the radio today, and I got inspired to write another story :) I am listening to this song rite now nonstop while I write. Hope you enjoy! My best friend Katrina came up with the title! Thank you talk2kt!

p.s. you can check out her youtube channel, talk2kt! ! !

Take Our Escape

Chapter 1

12:43 A.M

Hermione sat nervously on the small wooden stool she was given, clutching her knees. Her wand was gripped in her hand tightly, as if her life depended on it. And in a few minutes, that could very well become the case. Harry and Ron sat on each of her sides, Ron's face contorted in silent pain and Harry sat statue rigid awaiting the battle that rested on his shoulders.

Hermione wore black jeans, and a black pull-over. She remembered arguing with herself on what to wear that day, her mind weighing the pro's and con's of each outfit. She had thought it was going to be a normal school day, as did everyone else, but how horribly wrong she was. It was a cold December day, dark and dreary, so she had settled on the same brooding clothes she was wearing now. Hermione struggled to not think of what would have happened if she wore a light color, like white, the dye of crimson staining it as she fought.

So it was official. Younger students had evacuated unharmed, older students lined the Headmistress' office along with Hermione, Ron and Harry, their wands gripped in their palms. The teachers solemnly went down the line, assigning parts of the castle to each fighter. The Order had come, and were already trying to fight off the Death Eaters as they made their way onto the grounds, to no avail. Death Eaters outnumbered the Order by a tremendous amount. Bodies were already seen strewn across the grass, alive or dead Hermione could not see. And she prayed to God to let them win, let them have a good life, let them forget what was going to happen as soon as she was fighting. But most of all she prayed to not have to kill anyone.

"Miss Granger…" McGonagall said, bowing her head slightly as she stood in front of the frizzy-haired girl. Hermione took a deep breath to calm her racing heart, and stood up slowly.

"You will fight by the Astronomy Tower, where the intruders may try to get in. I trust you can handle this?"

"Yes, Professor." she said, biting her lip but sounding all the brave nonetheless. Ron was standing by the door, waiting for her to join him. She turned around and gave Harry a strong hug, kissed his cheek and hugged him again. "Don't leave us Harry. Ron and I will be at your side." she whispered into his ear, tears making the way down her own cheeks. Ron nodded gravely from his position at the door, his face still resembling pain.

"And we'll be at your side too. And you're not allowed to leave us either." he said hoarsely, managing a small smile. His own eyes filled with tears as he watched his two best friends walk away from him.

"Hermione?" McGonagall called to her. She walked over to the girl and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I wouldn't have assigned you that post if I knew you couldn't handle it. You really are the most talented witch of your age." she whispered.

"I'm offended. I thought I was." Fred called from the corner, his half-hearted attempt at a joke. There were some nervous laughs followed by dead silence. Hermione nodded at her Professor and left the room with Ron.

"Where were you assigned?" Hermione asked.

"Dungeons." Ron replied gruffly, his ears turning red.

"Astronomy Tower." she said.

When they got to the main staircase, Ron took her by surprise and engulfed in her a bone-breaking hug. Hermione returned the embrace, letting astray tears fall onto his shirt. She was the one to pull away first. She placed a gentle kiss on his cheek and departed without another word.

She took the staircases two at a time, anxious to get to her post and not dawdle and waste time. When she reached the tower, she found it dead quiet except for the distant shouts of the fighters down below. She looked down the tower and cried out in alarm. The bodies scattered around the ground was unbearable to look at. She turned around quickly.

Hermione heard footsteps coming up from the stairs and she gasped and held her wand aloft. Her heart raced dramatically as she waited for the owner of the footsteps to show themselves. A pair of red Converse appeared at the doorway, and round blue eyes twinkled at Hermione in bliss. Her long dirty blonde hair hung straight down her back.

Hermione forced a smile. "Luna." she whispered.

Luna tutted and circled Hermione. In her usual high-pitched dreamy voice she said, "Snarklepuss got your tongue?" she asked, concerned. Hermione stared at her mystifying friend, and decided to drop it.

"I'm just very scared." she said. Luna nodded and for the first time, looked dead serious.

"We all are. But we can do it." she said, patting Hermione's arm contentedly. Hermione opened her mouth but no words came out. But even if she had something to say, it wouldn't matter because she would have no time to speak it. Luna shouted for Hermione to get ready as Death Eaters floated up the tower, their cloaks billowing around them like darkness.

Hermione yelped silently and raised her wand at the two masked villains. Luna took one instantly, firing off her 'Expelliarmus'. Hermione screamed as the masked intruder shot off a Latin dark magic spell that caused Luna's face to bleed. Long gashes covered her face and neck. She touched her face silently, as if marveling at it. Luna shot off a spell Hermione had never heard of, which was strange for the brainy girl. The Death Eater clutched his side in pain, but nonetheless continued on cursing the small Ravenclaw. Hermione shrieked as the other Death Eater slammed her against the wall with his own spell. Hermione was too preoccupying herself worrying for Luna, she forgot there was another felon there. She rubbed the back of her head, making a face when she felt hot sticky blood.

She shot off her own spell at her opponent and bit her lip in sadness as he doubled over in pain. As much as she wanted to win this war, and live a safe life with her family and friends, she saw no point in having a war at all. She believed it was good to fight for what you believe in, but not by spilling blood. Or ending lives of real human beings, who happened to choose the wrong path in life. She believed that there was good in every person, that that sliver of purity in every soul could change the person for the better. The shard of glass that penetrated a bad man's heart could morph into a shard of happiness. And that's why she blatantly refused to kill anyone.

Sure, Hermione would inflict as much pain on the bad guy as much as she desired. As she was laying in bed the night before, she was thinking about the war, and how it would affect her and her loved ones. And, she realized, that pain comes with renewal. So, maybe, pain would help the followers of Voldemort turn good. It was a long shot, but she still hoped.

Hermione was too lost in her guilt that she didn't notice the Death Eater she was currently fending off had resorted to physical violence. She dodged his fist as it tried to knock her in the jaw. She ducked down in time to avoid another punch, but she stayed down a second too long. He kicked her hard in the stomach, making her fall to the ground. Hermione felt like throwing up, it had really hurt.

He was about to kick her again, but Hermione, ignoring the pain in her stomach, rolled out of the way and jumped back up. She hurriedly shouted, "Incarcerous!" but missed her target and the spell hit a telescope, instantly tying it up in ropes. She grunted in frustration. She glanced around the room quickly, noticing Luna was gone, along with the Death Eater. She assumed the worst. Still dueling with the villain at hand, she called out worriedly.

"LUNA? Are you ok?" she screamed, dodging a Crucio.

"Hermione, I'm over here!" came Luna's dreamy calm voice, even at a time like this. Hermione looked over her shoulder and noticed the Death Eater had backed her onto the stairs. She was giggling merrily, in the brightest of moods, and firing off simple curses. 'How can Luna be enjoying herself?' Hermione thought to herself, and she put a Protection spell on her. The masked villain Hermione was facing was getting tired and irritated at Hermione, she could tell. His spells were more speedy, as if wanting to hurry her death along. Though, Hermione noted, he was not casting 'Avada Kedavra' at her. Brushing the thought aside, she tried to set her opponents robes on fire. She aimed perfectly, the robes of the intruder burst into flames. With a bored flick of his wand, the fire was gone.

"Curse dark magic!" Hermione whispered to herself. That spell could only be lifted by the caster. But dark magic found a loophole to everything.

A loud, unpleasant crunching sound came from the stairs, continued by someone screaming and thuds. Hermione shrieked in terror. That Death Eater Luna was facing had made her fall down the stairs.

"LUNA!" she cried. There was no answer. Hermione referred back to Hogwarts, a History. She recited the scripture from the book in her head. If any peoples should fall down the magically moving staircases, a tight net will cascade over the railings of staircases below it, to catch the falling person. These nets, are, invisible and only the faller can see them. Only six times had the net has broken. Hermione threw another spell at her rival, temporarily pausing him. She kept reciting it in her head.

The winding staircase of the Astronomy Tower, as well as the North and South towers, do not have a net precaution, as Salazar Slytherin declared there would be no need to. As the others had argued with him, he had won and no spell was attached to these staircases. In case anyone tried to change this rule, Slytherin himself put a defense spell on it, making sure no one could change it. Not even today, the greatest minds in Wizarding history can't undue the hex on these winding staircases. The author urges the reader to be careful.

The Death Eater was regaining the use of his muscles. Hermione didn't see him, too upset that Luna could be seriously injured…or…dead. Hermione gulped and screamed for her odd friend again.

"LUNA!" she screamed. No answer. She raced to the doorway and shrieked at the sight Luna was. Unconscious, on the very last step of the staircase, Luna lay covered in her own blood, her foot twisted in a sickening angle. Beads of sweat dripped from her brow. Her blonde hair was tinted with crimson. Hermione's stomach curled when she saw it, and tears formed at the sides of her eyes. She could not bear blood. She was about to turn around again when a strong hand clutched her throat, and Hermione felt herself being lifted off the ground. The tears that had been inching out of her eyes seconds before, now streaked down her face from the firm hold the man had on her. He carried her over to the ledge, and he lifted her in the air, still clutching her throat. She screamed for help, but no sound came out. Her face was starting to get red. In a last attempt to get out of the man's grasp, she pulled her wand at him, attempting to do non-speaking magic. But since she was just learning how, she felt it safe to have her wand pointed at the target. The Death Eater let out a cold, drawling laugh and pulled her wand away from her feeble grasp.

Hermione gasped for breath, but couldn't find any. She tried to kick at him, but was so far over the ledge she ended up kicking the cold wall with her worn-down tennis-shoes. She released her grasp on the man's wrists, and wildly tried to punch him. Her fists were easily dodged, but the Death Eater did look a little concerned.

"You're not gonna punch me again, you filthy little mudblood." he spat. Hermione stopped struggling for a minute and placed her hands on the ridge of the tower. 'When did I ever punch him?' she thought wonderingly. Then realization struck her, and she looked uneasily into her captor's stormy gray eyes…

Power of the cliffhanger! :D so…tell me if u like it! Really, please? This is my first story on HPFF but I do have two other stories on so its all good! I'm not a newbie! I mite post this on …and if ur reading this on then it looks like I did!

A/N this started as a one-shot, but when I got to 14 pages, 8,000 words, I just decided to make it a story! A novel as u call it on HPFF. :) so review, it'll make me feel good :D

A/N 2 it's the 30th rite now, and that means im gonna have to wait like a week before I can post this and get a banner :) idk if I can wait tat long!