🔓 CHARLILY
🔓 - “accidentally” handcuff both our muses to the bed, forgot where they put the key five minutes later.
The italicized line below could also act as the title of this drabble, lmao
@charlesmckinnon
“Charlie, what the fuck?”
This had started with a discussion about Green Peace. Lily had been telling Charlie and the others about a rally that the protesters had all been chained together.
“Three days, they did it.” Lily said, shaking her head. “I can’t imagine being chained to anything that long. They must have hated each other by the end of it.”
“I don’t think so.” Charlie said, donning a look that had become quite familiar to Lily over the last few months. “I mean, they were working towards a common goal- and they ended up getting what they wanted, right?”
“Yes,” She allowed. “But they were chained together. Not only is that extremely close quarters to be sitting next to someone who hasn’t showered in at least three days-”
“And she’s saying ‘at least’ because these folks like to conserve water,” Marlene interjected with a smirk.
Lily dropped her head slightly and gave Marlene a look. “Sure,” She turned back to Charlie, “But it’s also not comfortable to sit around on the ground for three days straight. I just feel like they deserve more credit than you’re giving them.”
“I could do it.” Charlie said with a nonchalant shrug that made Lily roll her eyes.
“Of course you’re going to say that.”
“I could though.” He insisted. “I mean, it’s not hard to sit around.” She refrained from rolling her eyes this time and just chuckled.
“Alright, well the next time they’re having a rally I’ll let you know and you can go save a tree with them.” She said, turning towards the counter to get more tea. But it was what he said next that really set everything in motion.
“I bet I could last longer than you.” Lily rounded on him, her hand on her hip and her brow quirk.
“Nah-uh.” She replied without hesitation.
“Um, yes, I most definitely could.” He narrowed his brow and crossed his arms. “I’m one hundred percent sure of this.”
“Okay, well, we all see where this is going yes?” Marlene chuckled, looking between the two of them before rolling her eyes.
“And I’m one hundred percent sure that you are wrong.” She smirked. “So I suppose I’ll be joining you at the next rally and we’ll just see.”
“I really don’t think there’s any need to wait.” And then there was that look again. The I’m-right-and-about-to-prove-it look. Except Lily also had one of those looks. And so a bet was struck.
“Okay so these cuffs,” Lily said skeptically, sitting down on the floor in Charlie’s room. “They’re for work yes? So they can’t be undone with magic or anything?”
“You thinking of cheating?”
“No, I’m thinking that you might cheat.” She smirked. “I don’t cheat.”
“Well neither do it. But no, magic won’t undo the cuffs you have to have the key.”
“Perfect.” She nodded, putting her arm up by the post so that he could close the cuff around her wrist and then they were chained to the bed. And to each other and Lily wasn’t upset about the idea of spending the next several hours heere with him. “And we had to do it in your room-”
“Well we couldn’t do it in the kitchen. We’d be in people’s way.”
“Right.” She shook her head. “There are a million rooms in this house.” He shrugged. “I feel that it’s necessary to bring up the fact that you may be more comfortable in this room than me. Since it’s your room.”
“You should have brought up your concerns before I locked the cuffs.” He shrugged, not disagreeing with her and Lily laughed.
“It doesn’t matter, I’m going to beat you anyway.”
“We’ll see about that.” He chuckled, bumping his elbow against hers as their arms hung from the cuffs. she pursed her lips to try and keep from smiling but it was a moot point really.
Willa brought them their dinner a few hours later and Lily looked over at him after she took a bite of her chicken. “Are we wasting our time?”
“Are you saying you want to call it?” Lily shrugged.
“I don’t know, I mean, don’t you have work to be doing?” He looked at her for a moment and then scoffed.
“Are you really trying to play mind games with me right now? I’m going to win.” Lily laughed and shrugged one of her shoulders.
“It was worth a shot.” She said, popping a green bean in her mouth. “Next I will try talking with food in my mouth to gross you out.”
“You can do whatever you want, you’re still not going to win.”
“We’ll see about that,” She grinned, repeating what he’d said earlier. He looked over at her, smiling as well.
There was one fatal flaw in their plan that they hadn’t taken into consideration and it was about two hours after they’d eaten that Lily started squirming, though she was reluctant to say anything.
“What are you doing?” Charlie asked, narrowing his brow and watching her. “You want to call it quits? It hasn’t even been that long yet.”
“No I don’t want to call it quits.” She said without hesitation. “You’re not going to win.”
They were in the middle of a discussion on the pros and cons of foot ball and Quidditch, Lily’s legs crossed tightly, when she noticed that Charlie started to shift uncomfortably as well. She looked at him and sighed. She’d managed to wait this long, but it needed to be brought up.
“You know, I think those guys from green peace got a bathroom break or two.” She said, trying not to make it sound like she really needed to pee. “Otherwise that would just be gross.” She said, glancing over at him.
“Yeah,” He nodded, shifting again.
“I mean, no one is looking to get a bladder infection here, right?”
“Yeah yeah, alright, two minute bathroom break and then we’re back here.” He said and Lily sighed in relief.
“Thank Merlin,” She muttered, waiting as he rummaged through his pockets for the keys. She didn’t get nervous as he narrowed his brow and started searching his back pocket but then he frowned and Lily mirrored his expression.
“What is it?” She asked.
“I don’t know where the key is.” He said, not meeting her gaze and looking as though he was in deep concentration.
“What do you mean you don’t know where the key is?” She asked, trying to get him to look at her.
“Exactly that,” He said, shaking his head and waving his free hand in the air. “I put them in my pocket and now they’re not there.”
“When did you put them in your pocket?” She asked, crossing her legs a bit tighter. “Charlie I’ve really got to go to the loo,” She said, tugging at her chained hand helplessly. This was supposed to be a friendly competition and now they were just two idiots chained to a bed.
“I know just let me think for a moment.” He said, running his free hand through his hair and closing his eyes. Then he swore under his breath. “They’re in my cloak pocket.” He said.
“Charlie, what the fuck?” She let her head fall back against the side of the bed. “You’re supposed to have them on you-”
“I know, we’ll just call Willa and ask her to get them.” Except that’s when Marlene appeared in the door way, dangling the key in her hand.
“Looking for something?” She grinned.
“Marlene,” Lily said cautiously, as though she were talking to an animal that might startle and run at any moment. “Please-”
“And why should I?”
“Why wouldn’t you?” Charlie countered and Lily elbowed him in the side, he was not going about this correctly.
“What do you want?” Lily asked and Marlene’s smirk grew.
“See, Lily gets it.” She said, twirling a piece of her blonde hair in her fingers. “What do I want?” She repeated, looking up at the ceiling.
Fifteen minutes later, after Marlene had properly humiliated the both of them and extorted them for a good amount, they had both ran off to the loo and were now standing outside Charlie’s door neither one of them wanting to say that the whole ‘lost key’ fiasco had put them off continuing the competition.
“So,” Lily looked back towards where she’d spent the last seven hours and sighed. “I guess we’re back at it-”
“Or we could just go get a cup of tea.” He interrupted her.
“That sounds a lot more fun.” She chuckled, linking her arm through Charlie’s. “I don’t think we should make bets with each other for a while.” She said, looking up at him.
“That’s ridiculous, you’re just saying that because you know you would have lost.”
“If you don’t stop this we’re going to end up chained to your bed again.”
“You know, I can think of worst ways to spend my time.” She rolled her eyes and elbowed him again.
“You’re completely ridiculous.” She muttered, looking down to hide her red cheeks.
