A Walk In The Park (A Drarry FanFiction)

Chapter One

      "Draco," sighed Pansy Parkinson as she took a drag on her cigarette and leant against the half pipe. "How long are you going to make me suffer this for?" 

He grinned at his best mate, stamping on the board so it snapped up in the air and into his waiting hand. "Until I remember all my mad skilz," he said, stressing the 'z' to irritate her, taking a swig of cider from their selection of cans on the ground.

"You are far too old to be messing around on a skateboard," she said, raising a perfectly pencilled eyebrow. "Rollerblades I could maybe tolerate, but this just makes you look ten years old." She flicked her dark hair over her shoulder and folded her arms. "You are a rubbish gay. Why aren't we doing our nails and gossiping about boys?"

"Because," Draco Malfoy wagged his finger at her. "I am one of those remarkable gays who somehow manages to have an interest range outside of that of your average One Direction fan. I like the boy things and the girl things, isn't that unbelievable?"

She smirked at him saucily. "Rubbish," she repeated with emphasis.

Draco winked at her then dropped the board again, pushing himself along the concrete in a half hearted figure eight. He didn't care about her complaining; if she really minded, she wouldn't have let him yank her out of halls and into the park.

There was something about going to university that made people regress, he'd noted during their first year, and as the summer had crept back over the city so the water pistols had come out, the kiss chase had begun and the late night LARPing had mysteriously pulled people in.

Draco, for his part, had discovered an old skateboard in a charity shop whilst Pans had been hunting for bargains, and refused to be talked out of being ripped off as he paid a tenner for the battered thing. It was in good nick though, considering, and once he'd given the wheels a bit of an oil he'd been pretty pleased with the result.

After a week of riding it between classes though (much to Pansy's mortification) he'd wanted to try some of the tricks he'd perfected in his youth, and insisted on going the other side of town to the only decent half pipe ramp. Several teenagers had been hanging around, who Pansy had not fancied making friends with, so they'd bought themselves a crate of cider and hung around until the kids had ventured off to pastures greener.

Pansy seemed to accept she wasn't going to win this round, so instead dropped unceremoniously to the ground and cracked another can. "Can't you at least wear a helmet?" she asked as he whizzed past again. "Knee pads?"

"Oh give over mum," he ribbed her, even though she was right. "I'm not doing anything crazy."

She huffed out a cloud of smoke. "I'm not taking you to A and E," she sang at him, waving her fag like a conductor's baton. She was all chipped black nails and piercings and lack of shits to give. But Draco knew if it came down to it, she really would take him to hospital. She'd bitch about it until the end of time, but that's what the best kind of friends did.

It was nice having her come along; her half-hearted protests actually made it more fun. He'd been prepared to come alone, but the whole point of trying to skate again was to recapture some of that joy he'd found in his early teens, hanging around at his local park with a gaggle of friends. Skating alone probably wouldn't have felt right.

He stuck his fingers up at her as he twisted the board under his feet, flipping it with the idea of landing back on it and carrying on his skate.

Instead, he tripped over as it landed on his side, stumbling forewords and pin wheeling his arms. Pansy dissolved into peals of laughter, keeling onto her side as she unabashedly mocked him. "Mad skilz Drake," she giggled. "Mad!"

"He cracked his head open yet?" drawled a voice as their other friends rounded the pipe, armed with more alcohol, snacks and a set of speakers. Draco paused the board, sweeping white blond hair out of his eyes, and gave Pansy a smile that he hoped she wouldn't interpret as affectionate, otherwise she might beat him. He couldn't help it though – she must have invited them along and it was more the merrier as far as he was concerned.

Blaise Zabini was tall and dark, Theo Nott smaller with eyes that hinted at his Chinese heritage. Both looked as amused as Pansy at Draco's renewed interest in his childhood pastime. He couldn't help but feel content at the sight of them plonking themselves down on the grass at the edge of the concrete, inserting themselves into his little world. Skating was always where he had felt most at ease, the place where he'd been able to escape home and school, where he'd discovered drinking and weed and girls, which had in turn lead him to realise he really rather preferred boys. That skate park had been custodian of his hopes and dreams and heart.

But real life had bled into his sanctuary despite his best efforts. Exams, results, sixth form, university, it had all been one race after another, and that was without any of the other challenges crowding his brain, beating him down. By the time he'd moved out of home he hadn't even thought to pack his board; it had probably been chucked away out of spite by his father.

"Ahh," said Pansy, eying up the vodka and opening up the crisps. "Nice one gents, come join the show."

"There's no show," huffed Draco, swigging from his can again as he weaved the board slickly around them. "I'm just having fun, you lot are simply a bunch of dried up bores."

Theo rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck and smirking. "Go on then," he goaded as Blaise hooked up his iPod and got some music going. "Give us a go."

Draco laughed and hopped off, throwing his mate the wheels. "Don't break it," he warned, grabbing him and ruffling his hair.

He wished they had more than one skateboard; now he'd started he wanted to keep going, he didn't want to share. But the fact that they were having a go did still cheer him, because they were interested, they were having fun. It made his mind wander idly to a potential 'next time', where he'd convince them to get their own boards, so they could race and compete and Draco wouldn't be reduced to watching.

He felt free when he was skating, and after just a week back at it he couldn't believe he'd ever given up on it. Yeah, maybe Pansy was right, maybe it was supposed to be for kids and doing it as a near adult was slightly cringe-worthy. But on a board, he wasn't disappointing anyone, wasn't disgracing anyone. He was just...Draco.