A/N: I don't own Harry Potter or any related characters

This is for the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

word count: 352

"This is stupid," Bellatrix stated, rolling her dark eyes. Alice couldn't help but agree. It was stupid. The whole principal of arranged marriages were stupid. Although, she knew might not think that if Bellatrix had been born a male.

"If you were a bloke."

"If I were a bloke, you'd not love me and I'd probably fancy Frank," Bellatrix muttered. Alice let out a small laugh. Bellatrix was probably right. Alice wouldn't feel the same way, at least, she didn't think she would.

"You know, we could just run away, get disowned?" she suggested, leaning back against the large tree trunk. The lake was the only place they could talk without being overheard, without someone trying to see what they were up to. It had become their place.

"And let Narcissa be the eldest?"

"What's wrong with that?"

"If she's the eldest, then she'll be forced to marry him, Rodolphus, and I can't...she loves Lucius."

"And I love you! Doesn't that mean anything?"

"Maybe, someday, it might, but right now, right here in this time... I can't."

"Wait, I've got an idea... it's not a nice idea though," Alice said, biting her lower lip.

"No one ever said I was nice, out with it."

"Wait until Narcissa marries Lucius, she'll be happy and then...well, it wouldn't matter then, would it?"

"I'd still be married to Rodolphus. How would that solve anything."

"What if... well, he were to die? You'd be free to do as you pleased, wouldn't you?" Alice asked, a spark shining in her deep brown eyes.

"You want me to marry and then murder him?"

"No, of course not, I mean, that'd be wrong..." Alice said quickly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm just saying, if something were to happen to him..."

"No, I'm not a murderer, look, I've got to get to class. I love you, Alice, but I can't..." Bellatrix said, rising to her feet. The idea of murder, of escape, playing over and over in her head. Maybe Alice was right, maybe it was possible for them to be together in the end, maybe?