Malfoy | Draco Malfoy [Book1](Unedited!)

Memories.

Memories when Nicolas was 9

Nicolas comes running to his room collapsing on his bed burying his face into the pillow and crying, the training from aunt Bella was a torture, a torture he has been enduring since two years now, today was the worst.

His shoulders shake with each sob, his small body shaking with the force of his tears. He's exhausted, his mind and body exhausted from the constant training and the relentless discipline he's subjected to by his aunt.

He buries his face deeper into the pillow, the fabric dampening with each tear that slips down his cheek.

The echoes of his aunt's harsh words and the pain of her strikes still linger in his mind. He's tired, tired of the constant pressure, the unrelenting expectations, the never-ending training. And right now, all he wants to do is cry, to let out all the pain and frustration that's been building inside him.

The cries keep coming, each sob wracking his little body, his tears soaking into the fabric of his pillow.

But even as he cries, the guilt gnaws at him, guilt for feeling this way, guilt for feeling weak. He's supposed to be strong, strong enough to handle everything his aunt throws at him, strong enough to endure. But right now, in this moment of weakness, he feels nothing but pain and exhaustion.

His body hurts physically, at the tortured methods of her training, even if the bleeding had stopped the pain didn't.

He's only a child after all, just a little boy who wants to be allowed to be just that, a child. But instead, he's been forced into a life he never wanted, expected to grow up too fast, to handle things he should never have to handle, not at his age.

His tears continue to fall, each one carrying a piece of his innocence, a piece of his childhood. He's growing up too fast, and with each passing day, it seems as if he loses a little more of the carefree innocence that should be a part of every child's life.

Then the door opens to his room, 4 years old Draco walking in, unaware of everything.

Draco's eyes widen in surprise and concern as he sees his brother crying on the bed. Nicolas immediately sits up, hastily wiping away the tears from his cheeks. He attempts to mask the evidence of his tears, but Draco sees right through it.

"Nic are you crying?" Draco frown he had roll of parchment in his hand, the unfinished drawing of a map for the treasure hunt game Nicolas promised he'd play with him.

"No..." Nicolas mutters, his voice breaking slightly. He turns his head away from Draco, not wanting his brother to see his tears. "I wasn't. I'm fine...I just fell of the tree I was trying to climb"

Draco's frown remains etched on his face, his small brow furrowed in concern. He takes a step further into the room, his tiny hand reaching out to gently touch his brother's arm. "Are you hurt?" he asks, his voice soft and filled with innocence.

Nicolas shakes his head, a small huff escaping his lips. "No, I'm fine. Really."

Draco doesn't seem fully convinced, his eyes still searching his brother's face for any hint of pain or discomfort. He then glances down at the roll of parchment in his hand, a flicker of enthusiasm animating his expression.

"Nic, I came to give you the treasure map for our treasure hunt game," he says, waving the roll of parchment excitedly. "You promised we could play today, right?"

Nicolas forces a smile, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. "Right, that's what I promised," he says, trying to push aside his own sadness and focus on making his brother happy. "Hand me the map, I'll hide the treasure as we planned."