Title: Rapunzel

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Final Fantasy VIII

Summary: It's all Seifer's fault. Really.

Author's Notes: AU for both universes. This takes place during the orphanage years of FFVIII, and I'm not sure how Harry got there, but he is. Quistis and Zell are both adopted by now, and Harry's roughly four years younger than everyone else.

Rapunzel

"It's Seifer's fault."

Edea blinked at Squall's declaration. Seifer had been sent to Garden four months ago when Cid finally got everything set up for young children at Balamb Garden, so there was no way Seifer was responsible for Harry being on the cliffs under the lighthouse and refusing to come down…at least not this time. She looked up at the ledge Harry was on, one far higher than he normally climbed, and a pair of bright green eyes met hers before Harry ducked back to hide again, a little bit of black hair still visible on the edge.

Selphie nodded seriously, her bottom lip sticking out in a pout as she ran a hand over her freshly cut hair. "He shaved patches on Irvine's head, and a big bald patch on Harry's, shaved Quistis's bangs off, gave Zell a Mohawk, cut my off my pigtails, and gave Squall chunky hair," she said, proud about remembering what the hairstylist had called Zell and Squall's hair when Edea took them to have it fixed.

Squall frowned up at Harry, crossing his arms over his chest after shoving Irvine butt first onto the sand when the redhead tried to hide behind him. He had suffered through getting a hair cut; Selphie had bravely faced hers; Irvine was going to get his, too. Harry might make it to dinner time tomorrow before he got hungry enough and climbed down in defeat. Of course, by then the scissors would be put away for another six months…

Edea sighed softly, remembering the incident that started everyone's dislike of haircuts. Seifer had discovered her anniversary gift for Cid in the back of the hall closet, and decided the beard and mustache kit made a wonderful toy, going after every kid in the orphanage with it at one point. By the time he was done, the razor was broken, the tiny scissors jammed, and the trimmer…well, Edea never had found the trimmer. Just as well. Cid had shaved off that silly beard of his by the time their anniversary had come, and Edea had knitted him a sweater instead.

But that was two years ago, and this phobia of Harry's was getting tiresome. It was a pain dealing with a five year old boy with waist length hair—braids didn't last and ponytails certainly didn't stop the tangles. "What if you offer to hold him while I cut it? Do you think that will get him down?" she asked Squall quietly.

Squall didn't say anything, just looked at her and lifted his arm to show the faded scar where Harry had bitten and scratched him the last time they tried that. Point made. Squall might be Harry's favorite person, but Harry's fear of scissors overrode everything else, and Squall had his limits of what he would put up with.

Edea sighed again. She couldn't hold Harry in place with magic since the little bugger could break free with his own now; he couldn't be bribed with sweets because he was going through a phase where he preferred fruit to chocolate and they didn't have any strawberries, and Squall obviously wasn't going to risk getting bitten again. And even if she did manage to cut it, there was always the chance Harry would regrow his hair like he had most of Quistis's bangs after the incident. That was it; she was out of options.

"If I don't cut your hair, will you behave when Squall braids it in the mornings?" she yelled up the cliffs. She ignored Squall's whisper-shout of "What!" for volunteering him, because someone had to deal with Harry's messy hair and it was obvious to her Harry wasn't going to come down if she was the one still braiding his hair from now on. "Harry!"

Harry poked his head over the ledge, his half undone braid now hanging over the edge, and Edea had to bite back a laugh. Harry resembled a miniature sorceress waiting for her knight to save her. That was the main reason Edea wanted to cut his hair—he got mistaken for a girl even when he wasn't.

"Will you?" Harry asked, pouting down at Squall and looking pitiful. Squall shot Edea an icy look before nodding reluctantly, and Harry beamed. "Okay!"

He edged out a little farther to climb down, and got his first good look at how high up he was. He squeaked, his eyes going wide behind his glasses. Squall let out a dramatic sigh when Harry ducked back again, and he started up the cliffs to get the younger boy. Edea covered her mouth with one hand to stop the building giggles. It was childish and silly and she was far too old to be thinking things like this, but Squall really was acting like Harry's knight, a very grumpy, sullen knight in tarnished armor who didn't talk unless he had to, but a knight all the same.

Next to her, Selphie snickered and Irvine softly called to Squall, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your long hair," before they raced down the beach so Squall wouldn't be tempted to jump down and tackle them into the ocean in retaliation. As it was, Squall settled for humphing quietly and shooting Edea a weak glare over his shoulder when one tiny giggle escaped.

Edea waited patiently for the two boys to climb down, sparingly using her magic to support them when they needed help. Edea smiled as Squall tugged a still fearful Harry towards her, and gently ruffled both boys' hair. Harry ducked behind Squall, who rolled his eyes, and Edea quickly went to go find Irvine so she could cut his hair. It wouldn't be right if she laughed at her most prickly child…

"Rapunzel indeed," Squall muttered bitterly behind her, and Edea lost the battle.

She laughed.