A/N: Guys! :O Is this what you think it is? Yes, yes it is.

So here it finally is! After months of planning and writing we're finally posting the prologue! It's crazy! It's been so much fun, I can't wait to hear what you all think as we go through this journey with our beloved Naomily! Things to remember is that this is set in post WW1 Germany, just before WW2 starts! Naomi and Emily are both German which is why during some sentences we have written it in German, but me and Kaz are by no circumstances fluent in German so bear with us if there are any mistakes! So anything else they say just pretend it's in German! This is being based on the world wars that did happen in real life but this is also our interpretation and it is a piece of fiction so please if we do get something wrong don't get angry of frustrated. Just see this as a completely different story and scenario if that helps! I couldn't have hoped for a better writer and friend to do this with so I hope you have as much fun reading this as we did writing it! – Emz3009

As Emz said, we've tried to be as accurate as possible with facts and events, but we're not history majors here. Yes, there was a lot of research involved to write this story (we still make some regularly as we write), but it is entirely possible that we messed up some stuff! So if you do happen to be a History major specialized on WW2, please, try not to focus too much on those mistakes! There's a story underneath all the history and it's really what you should focus on. We just thought that making a Naomily story based in that time period (just to make it clear, the story starts just before WW2, but will carry on into the war itself) would be very very interesting (Can you imagine the potential of angst? I'm already giggling!). Now, I know we'll sound corny for both saying it (we really do love each other that much), but I really couldn't have hoped for a better partner on this story either! Emz is an amazing person as well as an amazing writer and I wouldn't want to do this with anyone else! So enjoy this prologue - Miss Maraudeur

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Never an Absolution

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Prologue

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October 1933

Naomi had been waiting for a few minutes on her own. She wasn't getting impatient though and it was quite a lovely day in Berlin so she didn't mind waiting at all. The wind was blowing softly, carelessly bringing the dead leaves in its wake and creating tourbillons of dust and colours. It was a bit cold, the air was dry making Naomi's skin rough, but the sky was only slightly clouded and the sun was shining through easily.

It was still early and most of the city was sleeping except the few delivery trucks and early factory workers. Naomi liked this near silence though, she always had. She found it easier to get lost in her thoughts when it was silent like this and for all she was, Naomi was mostly a thinker.

Today, she thought about simple stuff though, her mind tired of roaming the same harsh memories. So she fixed her eyes on the little bakery in front of her and thought about that instead. She relished in the smell of the freshly baked buns floating in the air. She felt her lips curl in a gentle smile as she saw the owner, a slightly portly man she knew to be called Adalbert, rushed to the front of his shop to wash the sign attentively. It wasn't the first time Naomi had observed him and she knew he did this every morning. She guessed he liked to make sure his bakery looked proper, well maintained. And it really was too. She thought of how she had heard Adalbert's wife was pregnant and how they hoped it would be a baby girl. She'd seen Adalbert's wife not even three days ago and she had been so radiant, a hand always poised carefully on her stomach as if, to her, she really was carrying the most precious of treasures. Whether the baby turned out to be a boy or a girl, Naomi thought that it was lucky to have such a dedicated mother already. And then she frowned and scolded herself mentally.

"Did you wait long?" A silky voice said to bring her out of her thoughts.

And just like that her smile was back and her pain seemed to lessen. She turned to her friend and shook her head.

"Good, let's go then" the other said and reached forward to grab her hand.

Naomi soon followed and noticed with a faint surprise that the air smelled sweeter now that her friend had arrived. She looked at the way the other girl's hair flowed in the wind in front of her and surmised it must have been that that suddenly made the ambient air different.

They stopped for a few seconds to let an old car drive by and Naomi took the time to push one of her stubborn blonde locks behind her ear. The next second they were walking again.

"Wo gehen wir hin, Ems?" (Where are we going?) She asked out of curiosity.

The girl only looked at her with a self-satisfied smile in that funny way she always did.

"Sie werden sehen" (you'll see) she replied teasingly.

And Naomi continued to follow her because she trusted her. It was almost weird how much she trusted her, so naturally, effortlessly. She had only known the girl for a month or so after all and it had all seemed to just happen so fast.

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Flashback - September 1933

"Here" Came the stern voice of her father as he handed Naomi a brown paper bag. "It's your lunch"

Naomi took the bag with a curt nod and a smile at her father. It wasn't often that the man made lunch for her.

"We had a bit of Jam from your grandpapa's left… It's too sweet for me so… I put it on a piece of bread for you. Make sure to eat everything." He continued, his voice still cold.

Naomi smiled though because she knew that this simple gesture meant a lot coming from her dad. He wasn't generally very open and barely ever talked to her. Yet, her father was aware that her grandpapa's jam was her favourite. So she slid her bag over her shoulder and placed the lunch carefully inside it. It had been weeks since her father had shown her any kind of affection and she was surprised to realise how much she had missed it.

"Danke (Thanks)" she muttered faintly, her voice ridiculously thick with emotion.

Her father nodded in reply and Naomi walked to the front door.

The day felt different for some reason. As soon as she had walked out onto the steps leading onto the street below, she had been able to feel a kind of inconsistency, something very peculiar. Naomi wasn't sure if it was a bad thing or a good one, but couldn't quite shake the feeling that it was really there, almost palpable and surrounding her.

The second she had stepped outside, goose bumps raised across her bare arms and the back of her neck. The air had a frost to it and Naomi wrapped her arms around her to try to keep the little warmth she still had on her skin. She had barely made two steps when the voice of her father resounded in the morning air.

"Wait Naomi. You will need your coat today" He said before walking back inside to get her coat.

She waited, watching closely as the other kids all walked briskly to school, the frosty breeze causing them to increase their pace. She allowed the cool wind to wake her up slightly, causing all her nerves to come alive to keep her warm. She took a deep breath allowing the sun to shine down on her and the smell of the bakery down the road to make her smile.

Today was definitely different, never before had she felt so eager to start her day.

Her father walked back to her and helped her put on her coat and buttoned it for her taking the time to straighten the collar and brush off some dust from it. He looked her up and down when he was done and Naomi felt a little surge of anticipation go through her.

"Stand up straighter, you're a respectable woman" The man concluded when he was done with his inspection. "And get on your way before you're late for school"

Naomi nodded and whispered a brief "Yes Father" before turning around and joining the flow of children, blending in, and feeling the little pinch of disappointment claw at her chest as she remembered her father's words.

;;

The school was an All-Girl school and was very large. The classrooms were very spacious and bare, almost like someone had started decorating and given up. A few of the corridors had paintings various years had completed, on others there were awards that the school had received through good exam results. In the main reception there was a wall dedicated to the teachers, a picture of each stating their subjects. Each classroom had 30 desks, as always Naomi's desk was wonky and creaked violently every time she moved. It had caused her to get into trouble many times; she had even received a few punishments because of it, until she had learned to sit straighter to avoid making so much noise.

On the occasions where she had gotten in trouble though, her father had just brushed it off saying that it was good discipline for Naomi. She resented her father for that, resented that he didn't seem to care enough to be angry that his daughter had been hurt for such a stupid reason.

Today, as she took her place at her desk, it seemed to creak louder than usual, making it hard for Naomi to be silent. It had been a frosty damp morning and now the sun was shining brightly through the classroom's tall windows. She was sure that it was no good for the wood, thus resulting in it protesting by creaking every time she opened the lid to place her books for the day. Upon closing it the hinges screeched causing a couple of students to moan in protest. Her heart beat picked up as she looked at her hand realising that it was almost impossible for it to leave the school today without some extra marks upon it. Her teacher was rather fond of hitting undisciplined students with firm streak on the hands.

She looked at the clock quickly as other children started to flow into the classroom taking their various seats around the room, she only had a few minutes to try and find a solution to her problem, to save the impending doom of her hand. She wobbled it a few times to try and discover the uneven leg, it was the right nearest to her.

She cursed it under her breath before desperately trying to find something in her bag that would stabilise it before the teacher arrived. It was only about a centimetre causing all the problems. She threw her bag to the floor in frustration, nothing. She began to look around the classroom, maybe there was a book she could use it wasn't until she noticed the clock that she finally gave up realising that the reason today felt like it was different was because it was going to be a bad one. She could feel tears prickling in the corner of her eyes. She wouldn't cry, not in front of the other kids she wouldn't, but the last time she had received her teacher's correction was still clear in her mind and so was the pain it caused.

"Da (Here)" a flash of long brown hair.

She looked up trying to see where it came from but saw nothing, it wasn't until she looked down that she saw a small girl with brown hair and a pale brown school dress on. She watched the girl intently trying to see what she was doing on the floor beside her desk. It wasn't until the girl rested her weight on the table to get back on her feet that she saw a small book placed under the offending leg effectively making her desk stable once again.

"That should do it for you" The girl's husky voice said causing Naomi to take in a deep breath.

She gazed into the brunette's eyes and was surprised to see a pure brown colour that seemed to shine with something Naomi couldn't quite describe, but she knew she had never seen eyes so full of life before. It made her heart stop. For a moment, she was mesmerised by the red of the girl's hair, the dimple on the side of her cheek, the small nervous smile that played across her lips. She was effortlessly beautiful, that was undeniable.

"Right everyone to their desks, I haven't got the patience for anything today so open your books to page 394 and read the page before I quiz you for the answers" The bearded old teacher said as he briskly walked into the classroom collapsing on his chair ending Naomi's chance of hearing the girl's voice that helped her again.

She hadn't even gotten the chance to thank her.

They kept stealing glances throughout the lesson, though. Each time Naomi's heart would start racing and she would turn away embarrassed of such a reaction. She tried to focus on the mundane lesson going on around her, learning about the first world war was always a sore subject for Germans, but the teacher always spoke with much passion about how Germany would finally get their stand again against the western part of the world.

It made her feel uneasy; something didn't sit right with the passion behind her teacher's voice. Sure, she was proud to be German and she did love her country, but resentment, hate and passion was a deadly mix. The silence in the classroom proved she wasn't the only one afraid of what this all could mean. Or perhaps they were all too young to understand.

Naomi remembered once, a year ago, voicing this uneasiness she had about the subject and she could still very much remember the anger it had caused her father. Once he had calmed down a bit, he had admitted that perhaps, at eleven, she wasn't mature enough to understand the complexities of such an important matter. He had then instructed her to keep paying close attention to her lessons until she understood them. It was a year later now though and Naomi still felt just as uneasy about her History lessons and it didn't seem about to change.

But one look at the brunette seemed to make her feel at ease. Like if, despite all the hatred in the world, there was still some good too. She just didn't understand why the good she felt was in the eyes of a very timid and quiet yet beautiful young girl though.

;;

The afternoon had finally arrived and Naomi was craving her grandpapa's jam. She took a seat beneath the big oak tree that she usually took refuge under. Even if it was still in the school yard, it seemed to be a bit away from the games of marbles and balls and hopscotch. Far enough that Naomi could sit silently and relax and not risk getting a ball to the head any second. The tree itself was an old, but magnificent thing. Its bark was rough and was ripping apart in many places, but its trunk was large and its branches so numerous and large that it provided Naomi with a nice spot of shadow in sunny days.

She sat contently eating her sandwiches allowing her mind to go over the morning's events as she picked a bit at her bread. More importantly, her mind couldn't stop remembering the nice girl that had saved her hands from a punishment Naomi had been sure would come.

The event had played over her mind all throughout the day, it made her smile and feel warm inside yet at the same time it made her feel anxious. She had never experienced such a reaction to another student before, not that she had much experience with interaction with others. She preferred to be on her own, doing her own things. It kept things simple, made life slightly easier.

Especially with the tender feeling in the air.

"Hallo (Hi)"

Naomi shot round, her neck protesting furiously causing her to look back the way she was. She rubbed furiously at the offending area trying to stop the pain and her racing heart at the sound of the familiar husky voice.

"Oh I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you. I just saw you over here on your own and thought you might want a bit of company?" the young girl mumbled, pulling her shoulder bag closer to her in nervousness.

Naomi tried to compose herself, stunned at the sudden intrusion but excited that it was indeed the young girl from earlier. She tried to wrack her mind for something to say, social interaction definitely not being her strong point. She locked eyes with the brunette, it wasn't until she saw the girl in the slight sun that she realized that her hair wasn't just plain brown, but seemed to have a unique rich auburn colour. It was casting a particular shade of red that just defined her features, making her glow in the early afternoon sunlight.

Naomi was speechless.

"Sorry" the auburn girl said turning away embarrassed "I should really think before I act, you clearly sat here on your own for a reas-" she muttered starting to turn away.

The blonde's stomach flipped at the thought of the other girl leaving "Thank you" she spat causing the brunette's brow the furrow. She cleared her throat "Thank you for saving me earlier, I'm Naomi" she said holding out her hand.

The brunette took it "I know, I'm Emily"

Emily she said in her mind, it sounded nice. It definitely fit her perfectly.

Emily smiled and if Naomi had thought she was beautiful before, it was nothing compared to how she looked with a bright smile on her face.

"Please, I'm glad you came over" The blonde smiled gesturing to the bit of grass beside her, clearing her throat again. She had never been this open to anyone before, not straight away like this. For as far as she could remember, she had never directly offered someone to sit with her or willingly started a conversation.

The brunette placed her bag down before bending to her knees. She seemed nervous; Naomi wondered if maybe she was having the same effect on Emily. The thought felt nice to the blonde, like, somehow, if Emily felt it too than it wasn't so embarrassing being this nervous around her.

The silence enveloped them, all that could be heard was the laughter and chatter of the other school kids on the playing field a few meters in the distance.

Naomi broke the silence, her hand fidgeting with her sandwich "I haven't seen you around before? Have you just started?"

"Ja (Yes), me and my family just moved here."

"How long have you been here?"

"For about a month now" The girl answered vaguely.

"And I haven't noticed you before?!" Naomi said incredulously, regretting that she didn't keep that to herself now that she was blushing furiously as Emily smiled.

Emily laughed "I'm surprised you haven't noticed my twin sister. She is the flamboyant one that likes to be the centre of attention"

"And you don't?" Naomi asked causing Emily to look away.

"I don't really get a chance"

Naomi felt for Emily but at the same time didn't really understand. She wouldn't have envied her sister, if she had had one, to always be the centre of attention. She was always one to be in the shadows, she just preferred her life that way.

The sun beat down on them as Emily finally got comfortable. They sat in silence just enjoying each other's company. Naomi tried to get used to having someone so close to her rather than being on her own. She was surprised to notice she didn't mind it. Or at least, she didn't mind her, she didn't mind Emily. There was something calming about the small brunette, something really hard to grasp and explain. She looked so small and so fragile, yet there was a fierceness in her eyes that Naomi had noticed almost right away.

As Naomi observed the girl, she noticed that every movement that came from her always seemed to be impregnated with the grace and poise her father wanted her to possess so much. But, it was clear that, to the other girl, they were natural, effortless, not forced and rehearsed like her own. Emily wasn't pretending to be anything, she just was and, perhaps, that was what made it possible for Naomi to tolerate her company, even enjoy it.

"Would you like one of my sandwiches? It's my grand papa's jam, he uses the strawberries in his garden" The blonde ended up asking.

"He's a gardener?"

Naomi shrugged "When he has time"

They both let the words wash over them and it was weird how such simple words felt so serious. Every adult seemed to have limited time these days. When they weren't working more or were too busy talking amongst themselves to take a moment and talk to their children. Naomi could tell Emily had noticed too by the way her shoulders had tensed slightly at the mention of time.

"This jam is precious" Emily said as she took hungry bites out of the bread.

Naomi laughed "I know, I don't get it very often"

"He is a very good Jam maker"

"He is"

"Do you have many friends here?"

Naomi blushed before turning away, suddenly the idea of letting Emily know that she was a loner seemed a horrible thought. What would she think of her once Naomi had admitted she didn't have friends?

"Sorry" Emily quickly said startling Naomi.

"W-why?"

"I've kind of noticed that you are always on your own, I was just wondering" Emily blushed.

"I don't really make the effort"

"Can I be your friend?"

It was so quick and said in a small voice that Naomi almost didn't hear it, but when she realised what was said she was sure her heart raced. The smile that formed upon her lips answered it for her but she felt the need to voice it for herself.

"I would love that"

End of flashback

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And that had been it, a month later and the two girls were inseparable. Naomi had never had a friend before, but now that she had Emily in her life, she couldn't imagine it without her. It was an odd feeling that had worried her a bit at first. The blonde didn't easily get attached to people and usually didn't want to because people could always disappoint you, but she hadn't been able to push Emily away.

They kept on walking, hand in hand just as if they had always known each other. They soon reached a rather busier part of the city, the square, and Naomi didn't fail to notice that there were new posters plastered on the brick walls.

"Der Sieg des Glaubens" (Victory of Faith)

This time it advertised a movie. Its beige colour was still shinning across the place, it seemed, the lines on the actors' drawn faces still fresh, the ink probably still humid. They were so many posters everywhere but most were faded, the slogans nearly lost with the wear of time. There were still a few visible though, like that red one that said "National-Socialismus: Der Organisierte Wille Der Nation" (National Socialism: The Organized Will of the Nation) that had been drawn by a man Naomi knew was nicknamed Mjölnir or that black one with the Party's flags that said "Nur Hitler" (Only Hitler). The blonde felt an uneasiness settle in her stomach. Every day, there were new posters added in the square with increasingly bolder slogans. Naomi had never liked the posters, although she didn't quite know why.

Emily pulled on her hand a bit then so they would walk faster. She was keeping her head low and stretching her legs as far as they could it seemed.

"Are we in a hurry?" The blonde asked, but Emily just shook her head.

"Nein, not really. But I'm excited to be there nonetheless"

Naomi nodded because it made sense and kept her friend's pace. Actually, it wasn't even hard for her to do with her longer legs and soon enough she was walking faster than the other girl tugging on her hand instead.

"That's hardly fair!" Emily complained which only made Naomi giggle.

Then, the brunette started jogging and sped past.

"Now look who is not being fair!" the blonde laughed, but quickly followed. They giggled together and ran a bit, but were stopped abruptly when Emily collided with the side of a tall Schutzstaffel, SS, soldier. Naomi felt her stomach twist as she saw the tall officer turn around slowly to face them with a clear scowl on his face. Emily squeezed her hand and the blonde squeezed back automatically.

When they had first met, Naomi had thought Emily to be a very quiet girl. After a few weeks though, she had discovered that Emily wasn't so shy at all. She liked to laugh and always had so much to say. She was smart and quite witty. So, it didn't surprise Naomi when she addressed the soldier confidently.

"Excuse us Sir, we weren't paying close enough attention" Emily spoke clearly looking at the man straight in the eyes.

The SS soldier continued to study the two of them for a moment, his eyes scanning swiftly Naomi and then lingering on Emily. The blonde squeezed her friend's hand again as a pressure of fear built in her chest. Maybe it was because Emily had been the one to collide with him, but he surely seemed to dislike her a lot more than he disliked Naomi.

"Weren't paying attention you say?" the man said, his voice like a growl.

"Yes, we're very sorry Sir!" Emily said putting on a contrite look on her face.

Because she knew her, Naomi could tell it wasn't completely sincere, but she felt sure the soldier couldn't. Besides, with her slightly pouty lips, her button nose and her natural grace, Emily really was quite a sight. Personally, Naomi would have forgiven her anything with such a look, she realized with a jolt to her heart.

The SS soldier wasn't that easily convinced though, but he did seem to relax a bit. His shoulders released their tension and so did his stance.

"Are you girls still in school?" He asked and Naomi thought it was quite dumb of him.

They definitely looked young enough to be school girls. What did he expect?

"Of course" Emily replied politely and by the look on her face Naomi could see she didn't think it was as silly a question as she did.

A dark cloud passed over the brunette's eyes as she held the soldier's stare.

"Which school?" he asked.

"Fürstin-Bismarck-Schule" Naomi said, speaking up for the first time.

She held her head high as she said it. Their school was a well reputed school in Berlin and Naomi's father had always told her to be proud of being one of their students. The soldier turned his gaze on the blonde and inspected her again. He smiled then.

"That's a very good school" he conceded. "Well, your apologies are accepted, but do watch your step next time" He finished after a moment of silence.

"We will oblige Sir, thank you for you kindness" Emily replied with a poised smile and a curtsy.

Naomi felt like snorting at such a display from her friend, but she bit the inside of her cheeks to hold her laughter. The soldier certainly seemed to appreciate the brunette's behaviour though and finally walked off after giving both girls a quick nod.

It was after he was about 10 meters away that Naomi noticed just how tightly Emily was gripping her hand. The brunette released her grip a little and sighed shakily. She then turned to Naomi and before the blonde had time to inquire what was wrong, Emily was giving her a bashful smile and tugging on her hand again.

"Come on"

They continued their previous walk and, this time, there was no laughter to fill the air around them. Naomi could tell Emily was deep in thought, but she didn't want to pry. She never pried into Emily's business and Emily didn't pry in hers. It was like they had a silent agreement that it was for the best.

A few minutes later and they had left the main part of the town and were walking on an old dirt trail. The more they walked and the more they found themselves surrounded by trees. Naomi was beginning to be really curious about their destination, but she followed on without a word. They were still holding hands and it seemed to the blonde like that simple fact was enough for her to trust Emily blindly.

After another few minutes, they turned away from the path to take another one that was barely visible among the trees. Just before disappearing into the woods, Emily gave Naomi a reassuring smile as if she had known that the other girl was becoming a bit hesitant and, just like that, Naomi continued to follow silently. They walked for a while again, carefully stepping over big boulders of rock and fallen trees.

Eventually, though, Emily did lead them somewhere and Naomi had to admit it was a very beautiful somewhere. As they stepped out of the edge of the wood, they entered a small clearing with a wide pond at the end. There were also many flower beds all around the tall green grass that made up the clearing.

"Wow" Naomi muttered under her breath while staring at the sight in front of her as if transfixed.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" Emily said tugging on Naomi's hand a little.

The blonde turned around and caught her first glimpse of the brunette since they had entered the clearing and she was just dumbstruck for a moment. The thing was that the brunette didn't even look like a brunette anymore. The sun was catching her hair entirely so that it was shining with a fiery red that didn't even seem possible. Her eyes were sparkling with a million treasures and her smile was so pure that it illuminated her entire face, making her skin look like it was glowing. As Emily waited for her to say something an expectant look on her face, Naomi wondered if she had lost her power of speech.

"Yeah… it's lovely" She finally managed to articulate. "It's a lovely place"

Emily smiled even more brightly.

"I knew you'd like it" She said before finally letting go of Naomi's hand and walking further into the clearing.

Somehow, Naomi missed the contact instantly, but she didn't comment on it and followed Emily. It seemed like it was all she was doing since she had met the other girl, follow her. The blonde had an inkling that there were very few places she wouldn't follow Emily.

The brunette walked to the pond and sat gingerly on the grass just in front of the water. She took off her black shoes and her cotton socks and pulled her dress a bit higher so that it would cover her to her knees instead of to her ankles. Then, she dipped her feet in the water. As a curse erupted loudly from Emily's lips, she quickly brought a hand to her mouth in embarrassment.

"Verzeihung (Sorry)" she said with a shy look to Naomi. "The water is really cold!"

Naomi shook her head to show the petite she didn't need to worry about it and came to join her by the pond. She took off her shoes and socks as well and dipped her feet. A wave of cold went right through her chest. Emily hadn't been lying, the water really was cold. Of course, she refrained from commenting and managed to keep a straight face.

"This? Cold?" she said eyeing the brunette. "Hardly. You must be a real weakling" she teased.

Emily faked an outraged cry before dipping a hand in the water and tossing some in Naomi's direction. The blonde gasped loudly, a serious shiver running through her spine at the contact.

"Not cold huh?" Emily teased right back.

"Prepare for war!" Naomi announced before dipping her own hand and splashing her friend.

Emily yelped and jumped up and so the war did begin. They fought for a while, stopping only to gasp when freezing water made contact with their skin. They circled each other and ran around the pond and laughed some more. By the time the afternoon had rolled in, both their coats were damp and left aside to dry while the two girls lay on their backs shoulder to shoulder looking at the sky above. Emily pointed out a few clouds, making up crazy stories around what she thought they looked like. Naomi, for her part, listened fervently, sometimes even participating by telling tales from mythology that she knew by heart. Emily always listened ardently to each and every one of her words when she told stories; like her words were exquisite pieces of literature or particularly beautiful poems.

After a while, they fell silent and just kept staring at the sky. Naomi never minded silence when it was with Emily. It was never uncomfortable, never needed to be filled by meaningless conversation. But as the silence drone on, Naomi found herself thinking back about what had happened with the soldier in the morning.

"Ems…" she started softly.

"Hum?"

"I… Do you know why that soldier stared at you so much this morning?" she asked in a small voice.

Emily didn't reply right away and when Naomi chanced a look in her direction, she noticed that she seemed to be deep in thoughts.

"I don't know Naoms…" She muttered back.

For the first time in their friendship, Naomi had the feeling that the other girl hadn't been completely honest with her and it made her chest feel tighter.

"Do you know why he asked us about our school?"

"No" Emily replied and Naomi still felt like that wasn't the whole truth.

She bit at her bottom lip trying to calm the feelings that were raging in her stomach.

"Do you… do you think it matters? I mean… the reasons why he was asking, whatever his purpose was, do you think it matters?" The blonde asked, feeling like the answer would be important.

She didn't know why she was feeling like that, didn't even know for sure why she was asking, yet she had to.

"No" Emily replied firmly. "I don't think it does"

Naomi nodded slowly, a smile creeping on her lips as she recognized that, this time, Emily had told her the full truth. She didn't add anything after that and the next time someone spoke, it was Emily. The brunette rolled onto her side facing Naomi and reached a tentative hand to her shoulder. She brushed her fingers faintly on the blonde's skin and Naomi closed her eyes at the contact. Emily's fingers felt so soft that she couldn't help but enjoy it.

"Naomi…" Emily whispered.

The blonde turned her head to look into her friend's eyes and was a bit shocked when she saw so much uncertainty dancing in them.

"Yeah?" she encouraged her to continue.

"Will you… will you be my best friend forever?" she questioned a cute blush covering her cheeks rapidly.

Naomi smiled bashfully because, really, there was no way she would answer this question with anything but a definite yes.

"Of course" she replied confidently and felt her heart skip a beat when the brunette's face illuminated, her eyes now filled with gratitude and happiness where uncertainty had been moments ago.

Emily lay down on her back again and continued to stare at the sky.

"And you'll be my best friend forever as well?" Naomi demanded.

"Of course" Emily confirmed.

Later, when it was night, Naomi crept up the stairs to her room, skipping the steps that she knew creaked so she wouldn't wake her father. She sat on her bed allowing the moonlight to illuminate her room. It was ridiculously bare, and if it hadn't been for the small teddies and the picture of her family on the bedside table you wouldn't have thought a young girl lived there at all. But it was the way she wanted it. Maybe she was being stubborn, but she didn't like to create memories when the biggest part of her life was missing. It didn't seem right.

Yet despite this negative thinking she went to sleep that night content.

Emily's words replaying in her mind as she drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

"Will you be my best friend forever? Of course"

If only those words could have been enough.

.

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So? What do you think? Are you as excited about this as we are? I surely would hope so! We'd love to hear your thoughts on this little ambitious project of ours!

Also, we're not sure yet when we'll start updating the actual chapters since this story is so complex time wise (we want to be able to back pedal if we work ourselves in a corner), but now you have it, you can see it's very real and very much happening Happy New Year everyone, because 2013 is gonna be a great one! Xxx

PS from MM: Since I'm a huge HP geek, I want to say to those of you who caught the HP reference in there, props, you're awesome! I'm not even sure Emz saw it herself :P I still love you Emz though :P