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The officer grabbed at her arm and hauled her out of danger. She peered up at him in the half light as the blackout made it difficult to see.
"Are you following me?" She glared as she batted away his unwanted hand and dusted herself off. Nymphadora Tonks was no pushover and could easily stand up for herself.
"No," he barked back.
She knew it was a lie and let out a snort of distrust.
"In here," he commanded and tugged her into a dark building she did not recognise.
The bright lights made her wince at first then she stared in open eyed wonder.
"Ah ha," he said and smirked at her, "as we are here, how about some lunch, on me of course?"
She nodded still in a bit of a daze at the sight of the luxurious restaurant with its white linen tablecloths and silver service. It looked a bit too posh for her.
"You would not think there is a war on," she whispered to him as he helped her to a seat.
A waiter appeared at his side and stood to take their order. There were only two choices on the menu today, take it or leave it. They both took the steak pie, mash and carrots. There were always carrots, followed by coffee.
she stared across at the officer once again and this time asked him directly. "What do you want with me?"
He scratched at the back of his neck and coughed nervously, then leaned in close. It is a rather delicate matter and one of utmost importance. I have been asked to recruit you." He tapped the side of his nose.
She nodded, wanting to know more but knew they could be overheard. She still did not know his name. Perhaps she didn't want to. “Is this all a bit hush hush then?"
"Yes.”
Their meal arrived and it smelled delicious.
“Tuck in,” he said with a grin, “we will talk after.”
And they did!
+++
The talk ended up with her being invited to a formal interview but at a secret location. She had agreed to meet near her home in the early hours of the following day.
She still did not know his name but the captain had urged her along with him and down into an alley. She never expected to be then blindfolded and shoved into the back of what she thought was a van. She sat alone in the rear, trussed up like a chicken not knowing a bloody thing. When she met that man again she was going to punch him out for this.
She should have told her family what she suspected but did not wish to bother her parents as both had been through the last war and her father had a wonky leg due to a bullet wound. They were used to her working long hours unable to get home due to bomb raids. She just hoped they would not worry. She was doing enough of that herself.
After what seemed hours she was removed from the rear of the truck. The ground was wet as she felt her foot slap into a puddle and the chill of the water made her pay more attention.
She was led still with the blind fold on into a building and up a rickety lift and her escorts did not speak a single word to her.
She felt herself being shoved through a doorway and she was then pressed down into a chair. They exited and then she heard loud footsteps approach as they slammed the door behind her.
“Bloody idiots!” came a gruff Scottish brogue. “Let me help you out of those cuffs and that blindfold. Lupin’s men will be up on a charge over this!”
Dora as she liked to be called squinted in. the daylight. She was in an office and the woman towering above her was in uniform.
“I’m Captain McGonagall. This is my office and I am hoping you will be joining my department. It is an all female unit and I apologise as we do not normally treat our new recruits like this.”
She was offered tea after she was shown the facilities and had time to clean herself up a bit. She learned from the Captain that she was to help her recruit some other woman as she was her first. She needed ladies with good mind skills to become members of a new crack code breaking team.
Being a code breaker was going to be part of how they would win the war.
But Dora hoped to get hold of the mystery man, whose name was no longer a mystery to her. He was Lupin and the next time she met up with him it would not be over dinner.