My model, my lover (Drarry) ✓

Chapter 16

"Hey."

"Hey. Still working?"

"Short break now. Extended hours during summer hols." Harry says. "You in a good place to talk now?"

"Don't worry, I'm in the toilet." He replies. "Now everything has to be done in the toilet."

"Yeah? What are you doing now?"

"Painting." Draco says, giving his usual answer. "I finished the one where we got married."

"I wish I could see it." Harry smiles. "I bet it's very pretty."

"Harry, I haven't apologised yet. I'm sorry." He says, remembering what his Father has done. "Are you okay? Does it hurt a lot?"

"I'm fine." He pauses for a while. "Draco, you're not your Father."

"I know."

"There's no need to apologise for him."

"There is a need. You got humiliated because of me." Draco says. "No one has ever talked back to my Father before, though. I'm proud of you for saying what you said."

"But you know I say what I want."

"I do."

"Hey. I haven't proposed yet. You're only allowed to say that when we get married." He laughs a little, making sure to keep his volume down. "Draco, I mean it."

"I know. I just want you to know my reply in advance." He says. "I love you. At least I can hear you now. Even if we can't meet."

"Want me to climb in?"

"Can't. They installed grilles on every window I have, and took away the keys for my door." Draco murmurs. "They locked away all my art supplies. I'm only left with the phone they gave me and the watercolours set I hid in the bathroom. With my sketchbook, of course."

"Harry, they forced me back on the vitamins." He adds after a while, when he doesn't say anything. "I don't like it. They make me feel sick."

"You didn't tell them?" Harry asks.

"They don't listen." He takes in a deep breath. "Everything I do is observed. The only place without a surveillance camera is the bathroom. When I eat or sleep, what I say to myself, if I eat the pills... everything. It's all recorded. They know everything."

"I'm sorry, darling."

"It's lonely here, Harry." Draco says. "They know I cry at night. But they don't care. I miss your hugs."

"What about penguin? You hug him to sleep?" He asks.

"They took him away." He mumbles. "They took everything I loved. I'll go crazy without the stuff in the bathroom."

"Hang in there." Harry whispers. "When I'm capable enough, I'll get you out. This will all end."

"I will wait for you." Draco says softly, forcing a smile. "I love you."

"I love you too." He replies. "I'll call you again tomorrow. Bye."

"Bye." He packed up his art supplies, hiding everything in the sink cabinet and the phone in an empty moisturiser bottle before heading out. Heading out to the stack of books about business making and countless numbers of graphs on the window sill, blocking the view outside.

"Good thing you're out, Draco." His Mother says, smiling. "Come here and do your readings."

"But I've been reading all afternoon."

"I said. Come here and do your readings." Her voice became firm, demanding. It made him afraid.

"Yes, Mother." He murmurs instead, picking up the newspapers. "Why is there only the business section?"

"Because you spend too much time on the useless sections. Like the comics, culture, and forums."

"But those are the only interesting-"

"Stop complaining. Your Father will be very disappointed." She chides. "You have so much to catch up on, no thanks to pursuing your stupid arts... one day, you'll fall in love with business. And on that day, we'll bring you out for dinner to celebrate. Isn't that great?" Draco looks down, the words swimming before his eyes, his vision becoming blurry. He picks at the skin of his arms, unable to concentrate on whatever message the news was trying to bring across.

The pen gets yanked out of his hand, slammed on the table. He snaps to his senses, seeing a half sketched picture of a small bird flying, on the sides of the paper. When did he even do that? A tear smudges the words right below it, then another, and another...

"You're hopeless." His Mother frowns, extremely frustrated.

"This is not who I am." Draco mumbles. "Stop this. Please." The paper gets ripped out of his hands next, leaving them to shake as he pinched on the edges of his shirt, trying to hide his fear.

"You're getting rebellious. Again."

"I don't have energy to scream at you even if I wanted, Mother." He says weakly, another tear staining his shirt. "You should know that I woke up wanting to puke today."

"But you didn't."

"I didn't, I'm just telling you." Draco murmurs. "I think the condition is affecting my liver. I see the symptoms."

"No excuses. Everytime we try to implement something new, you have a whole ton of excuses. Suddenly, you feel nauseous, dizzy, no appetite, and now your liver is damaged?" His Mother sits on the bed, looking at him at eye level while he doesn't dare to meet her eye. "Why are you making this difficult? Huh, sweetheart?"

"I don't like it." His voice was trembling, like the rest of his body. "I really don't. Art is a part of me."

"No, it is not."

"So is Harry."

"You will not mention that boy ever again." She says harshly. "Don't think I won't hit you just because you're my Son."

"I'm not doubting that. I'm just letting you know." Draco says softly. "Sometimes, I wish I was someone else's Son. Then I wouldn't be put through this. I really hope it ends soon." The words chilled her to the bone, leaving her speechless. She walks out without another word, leaving him to his quiet prison cell, alone and crying.