"Me?" I chuckle. "Why?"
"I told you yesterday that I'd draw you again to make up for the horrid one I did eight years ago." Harry flashes a smile.
"Oh." I remember. "You don't have to-"
"Too late." He replies, already working on the drawing.
"Well, I guess it would be nice to know what I look like." I admit.
"I don't know what I look like, either. Could you draw me?" He asks.
I giggle, "Sure, but I promise you it won't look good at all."
"It can't be any worse than the first time I drew you." He points out. "Although, my ability to draw has gotten much better since I was thirteen."
"I can assure you, I've been drawing the same exact way since I was five." I warn him.
"Don't worry, I'm sure it'll turn out great." He reassures me.
I sigh and begin to draw Harry. I have to keep switching my attention between him and my blank paper. I adjust the easel to be closer to me and I begin to work on his hair. I figure it would be easier to draw his hair first and then fit his face in later.
"This is the worst thing ever." I joke, making him chuckle.
"Wait until you see my atrocity." He replies with a grin.
"Can't wait." I tell him. I can see him looking at me out of the corner of my eye. I lean over to him so I can check out the drawing.
"Hey!" He exclaims, turning the easel so I can't see it. "No ruining the surprise."
"How is it a surprise if I already know about it?" I challenge.
"Because you don't know what it's going to look like and I don't want you to see it until I'm done." He explains.
I pout, "Aw, why not?"
"If you keep trying to look at it, I'll get up and sit at another table to finish it." He threatens.
"No! Stay here, I promise I won't look." I plead.
He grins in triumph and resumes drawing me. I finish his hair and begin to work on his face. His jaw was easy to draw because it's just a line. I moved on to those thin lips of his, carefully moving my pencil to ensure accuracy. I had to get the shading exactly right. His nose wasn't easy, but I did the best I could. Before I could do his eyes, I drew his eyebrows. It's too bad only the paint has different colors, or else I would've been able to make the drawing look much better. I could've given his soft lips the perfect shade of pink, like rose petals. I could've given life to his vibrant, green eyes. But I was stuck with one stupid, grey pencil.
How is a mere pencil supposed to capture all of that? Without any colors, Harry won't be able to see how fair his skin is. He won't know what shade of green his eyes are, or how they sparkle when he laughs. Without color, this drawing is just... a drawing. That's all it is. It's almost as if, without color, it's lifeless. I don't know what the opposite of life would be, but it has to be something. Whatever the opposite of life is, it's shown in this drawing. It's not a bad drawing at all, but it doesn't do him justice.
I begin to draw his eyes, which is much harder than I thought.
"Harry, I'm almost done. Let me get a good look at your eyes." I say.
"Okay." He says with a smile.
I sketch the left eyelid first, looking back at him every now and then. Examining his eyes proves my point about the drawing. No matter how accurate I can make it, it'll never be the same as the real thing. No matter how amazing this drawing might be, it will never be able to tell him what he is. I didn't even think about what he is until now, when I had to analyze him and try to fit who he is in my art, along with what he looks like. He's so much kinder than anyone else I know. He carried me on his back when I twisted my ankle. He lets me eat the soft part of his bread because he knows it's my favorite, and I return the favor by giving him the outside of my bread, which is his favorite. It's like he can't just be a person. He's something much better than a person. If something above being a human would exist, and for all I know it might, it would be him. I just can't think of the right word.
