Once upon a time there was a beautiful and graceful princess…
Arrrrgh!
Muttering a string of profanities, Daphne Greengrass tried once again to untangle the metal tattoo needles in her hair. One false move tugged another blond hair from her scalp, and her repeated slew of curses was only met by a barking laugh from the back of the boardwalk tattoo stand.
Blaise Zabini was going to pay.
...and a handsome, gallant prince…
Lounging on the hind legs of the tall, rickety, wooden stool normally reserved for customers, Blaise Zabini, AKA The Asshole, (thank you Daphne for that really creative name), wasn't even attempting to stifle his laughter. All that planning just to tangle a few metal tattoo needles with strawberry jam into Daphne's hair was really worth all the effort when listening to her much more creative threats.
Too bad his body would be buried under the boardwalk in a week.
...who shared a mutual love that was pure and sweet.
Sticky hair. Check.
Strawberry jam covered needles. Check.
Knife in hand. Double check.
Plan to destroy Zabini. Triple check.
Legal papers to fill out in order to explain business partner's sudden mysterious death.
Errr, whatever.
"Don't touch my things!"
Just how dare he use her strawberry jam for his pranks.
And to think that was the fresh jar she won from a ring toss from the neighboring boardwalk exhibit.
If only she had been able to pay the rent for the shack at the beginning, then there wouldn't be any twisted 'knight in shining armor' Zabini who probably chose to co-rent with her just to get revenge for that time in art school.
To which Daphne repeats, was all Pansy's fault.
If Blaise Zabini knows what's good for him, he'd be the one to do that stupid ring toss in order to win the week's necessity of strawberry jam.
To which he'll definitely use all willpower to slither out of.
Stupid Zabini and his snakey ways.
The prince and princess shared deep, hidden feelings, and they confessed to each other one beautiful day.
Hanging up furiously, Daphne took an exaggerated deep breath.
Good God.
No one but a single women knew how scary mothers could be when they asked about boyfriends.
She knew she should have taken that chocolatier on the offer to get married.
Even though it was a joke.
Inspiration comes from the weirdest places.
More specifically, places where Blaise Zabinis come from. For a plan this far fetched, it's surprisingly logical.
It's not uncommon knowledge that she and Zabini are renting/working together, (though their personal not-so-loving relationship isn't so commonly known), so it'll be easy to buy that they are "together". Though they definitely are not, and never will be.
Now, the only piece in her plan that is missing is Mr. Zabini himself.
Good thing she knows the way to his heart.
"Three dozen chocolate bars, a box of beer, traded chores for a week, and dibs on the cushy chair for a month."
Blaise Zabini listed the terms off on one hand, with a twisted sort of smug smirk, before holding out a hand to shake, "Deal?"
"Deal."
This better be worth it.
As they got to know one another, the prince and princess fell deeper and deeper in love...
"You little treacherous, betraying, cockroach!"
Daphne's fingers were digging into that spot on his arm where Blaise had just gotten the Love tattoo.
As she dragged him out of their shop and out onto the boardwalk, the only thing he could focus on was making her let go.
You can say that he needed to get his priorities straight, but her grip hurt.
"What did you tell my mother about our bargain? We freaking made a trade. I've been doing your chores for a week already, you can't just go back on it like this! Why did you do it?"
"You know that time you got that poem for Valentines and the box of chocolates?"
"You mean that time someone stuck a dirty limerick on the counter with the name 'Daphne Greengrass' on the back along with a half eaten box of white chocolates?"
"Well, in my defense I was broke. But come on, back to the task at hand: that was me."
And as they say, the rest is history.
Hint: Blaise Zabini lost the dibs on the cushy chair and on Valentines Day Daphne Greengrass received a much politer limerick along with an unopened jar of strawberry jam.
Author's Note:
Word count: 747
Written for Hogwarts Assignment 12:
Gardening: Muggle Chic - Task 11: Stone pathway - Write a Wizard of Oz!AU/Wicked!AU. Alt: Setting: A boardwalk.
East Summer Funfair: Hook a Ship: prompt - treacherous
South Summer Funfair: Bumper car Yellow 7, Willpower
Northern Summer Funfair: Sophie's Ice Cream Stand: Cinnamon (Blaise Zabini) + Double Chocolate Brownie (Daphne Greengrass)
Gift Tag- For Amber
The Insane House Challenge: 661. Dialogue- "Don't touch my things."
The 365 Prompts Challenge: 206. Plot Point - A character discovers treachery of some sort