"Pansy, please. We haven't just talked in forever. I feel like I hardly even know you anymore…"
"Can't, Padma. I've got…homework."
"That's what you always say. I'm sick of all your excuses. I don't even know why I bother with you, to be honest."
"You love me, you can't help it. Don't act like you don't know why you keep holding on, we both know plain as day. It just comes down to the fact that I've got work to do, an expectation to uphold. I can't always be seen with you."
"I thought you cared. I don't even know why, but I thought somehow, you'd decided to care about someone. I thought I was lucky."
"I wouldn't waste my time on you if I didn't care. But that doesn't change anything, does it? No one else'll care whether or not I care about you. They just see what they want to see, and no one will want to see me with you, bottom line. I'm not saying we can't keep this up, Pad, but we need to be careful about it, alright?"
"Never seen you acting like this, Pansy… Maybe you do care."
"What made you think I didn't?"
"I'm tired of your excuses, though. Quit that, will you?"
"You weren't listening to me, though, were you? I told you we needed to keep this secret but you wouldn't lay off. I had to."
"Sorry, I didn't mean—can we just start fresh?"
"You really wanna try and gain my trust again?"
"Not that fresh."
"Good."
For the Valentines Drabble Collection Competition, pairing: PadmaPansy, prompt: excuse. Also for the Represent that Character Challenge.