Centerfold

As Hermione stepped into the studio, she felt her apprehension mounting. She had not gone more than a couple of paces, however, when David once again approached her.

“Hermione, I knew you would look amazing, but, really, my dear, you look even better than I had anticipated.”

“Thank you, David.”

“Are you ready?”

“As ready as I’m likely to be.”

Looking into the room, Hermione saw that the photographer, Michael, was busy measuring the lighting with his wand. At least, she assumed that was what he was doing.

She was a bit surprised at the set they had chosen to shoot her pictures in. If she wasn’t mistaken, it was a replica of the Hogwarts library. Or at least, part of it. The tables, the bookshelves, even the large wingback chair all looked like the furniture she was used to. On the one hand, this served to make her feel more at ease; on the other hand, it seemed a bit of a travesty to pose naked in her childhood sanctum.

“Isn’t it a bit cold in here? I mean, I’m going to be undressing and all, and well, it seems quite chilly…” Hermione asked David.

“Oh, yes, we do keep it fairly cold.”

“Why?” she couldn’t help but ask.

“Mostly because it will keep your nipples hard without us having to continually pinch them.”

Hermione was taken aback by this, but she thought back to the magazines she had confiscated as a prefect and realized that the women’s nipples were always hard…

“Michael,” David called out, “she’s ready!”

“So are we,” Angela said from where she was standing off to one side, recording the measurements that Michael had called out.

“All right, then,” Michael said, “let’s get started.”

He turned and looked at Hermione, eyes widening slightly when he noticed her changed appearance. “Well, Miss Granger, I dare say you will be one of the most beautiful centerfolds ever to agree to pose for this magazine, and that is saying something.”

Hermione was embarrassed with his compliment, although she recognized the bold-faced lie… ah, flattery… for what it was. His use of her last name wasn’t lost on her either. Clearly, he was trying to be completely professional hoping that it would put her at her ease. She was surprised to find that it worked.

“So,” he continued, “to start out, we are going to have you pose still clothed. Angela,” he called, “are you ready to start?”

“Yep,” she said, in her informal American accent.

For the first picture, Hermione found herself leaning against a bookshelf with her right shoulder, her right leg crossed in front of her left leg and her hip cocked out. Her head was also against the shelf, tilted back slightly to both expose her neck and to accentuate her breasts.

Next, they handed her a book and had her sit in the large leather chair. She sat sideways with posture she never would have used in the library, but she didn’t argue with Angela as she was posed. They had her lean against one of the arms of the chair instead of the chair’s back and cross her legs over the other arm. Then Angela pushed her skirt up so that the top of her stockings showed just a bit.

Last, the moved her to sit on the edge of the desk, her legs crossed and her hands gripping the edge. For this picture, they told her to look at the camera challengingly. She wasn’t sure what they meant, and it took a few minutes for them to get an expression on her face that they approved of.

Hermione reflected that it was just as well that they started off this way. While she didn’t feel completely confident, she was on some level being put at ease with how professional the photographer was. No matter how she was positioned by Angela, he continued to call her Miss Granger, and while he smiled at her, he didn’t leer in a way that made her self-conscious.

“All right, Miss Granger, we’re going to start removing clothing now,” Michael said. This immediately caused the butterflies to return to her stomach, but she forced herself not to show it.

“I’d like you to stand facing the bookshelf with your back to me,” Michael said.

Hermione got up and walked to the bookshelf.

“All right, now turn your head and look at me over your shoulder.”

She followed this instruction, too.

“Now, unzip your dress.”

With a deep breath, Hermione reached around her back to where the short zipper stopped, sliding the zip down to so that the dress gaped open and exposed the back of her lacy black knickers. She heard a click from the camera.

“Good,” said Michael, snapping a picture. “Now, push it off your shoulders so that it drops to your waist.” Another picture was snapped. “All right, take it all the way off.”

And with that, Hermione stepped out of the dress and realized she was now one step closer to being completely starkers in front of people she was not dating. The thought was both terrifying and strangely empowering. Susie, the costume mistress, quickly came over and collected the dress.

“All right, go all the way to the bookshelves and face them.” Hermione took the three steps forward until she was at the shelves. “Now reach your left hand up to the highest shelf you can reach, and pull a book half off the shelf like you were going to take it to read… good… Angela, turn her just a hair so that we get a hint of breast from under the arm… perfect.” Another picture was taken. “Now, Miss Granger, turn your head and look at me over your upraised arm…” another click of the camera.

“Miss Granger, you are doing very well at this.”

“Thanks, I think,” she replied.

“All right, go ahead and push the book back in. Now, tilt your head to the right and rub the back of your neck with your left hand… raise your elbow higher… arch your back a little… keep your head tilted and look up at the ceiling… good!” Another click.

“Go ahead and sit in the chair again. Angela, give Miss Granger a book. Miss Granger, go ahead and cock your legs over the arm again, good, now open the book. Angela, help her position it so that it covers her breasts, umm… a little higher from here… good.” Click.

“Now lean back in the chair and raise the book up a bit… good.” Click.

“Now, lean the book down on the desk like you’re reading it and Angela, scoot the chair up so that she’s sitting normally at the desk. All right, now, Miss Granger, lean over the book… good.” Click.

“Now look up at me, right in the camera now. Good.” Click.

Hermione was beginning to feel that having her picture taken topless was totally normal.

“Ok, now stand behind the desk and lean over the book. Put your hands on the edge of the desk… closer together… bring your elbows in so that they push your cleavage together… good.” Click. “Now look up.” Click.

“All right, Angela, take the book. Miss Granger, get on the desk, please.”

Curious, she complied, wondering what was coming next.

As soon as she was on the desk, Michael gave her more instructions. “Go ahead on stretch out on your side. Good, prop your head in your hand with your elbow on the desk. Good. Cross your right leg over your left… good. Look right at the camera…” Click.

“Now turn onto your back… get in a half-sitting position, lean back on your elbows… good, drop your head back… hmm… bring your knees up a little… no… look straight at the ceiling with your head back… perfect…” Click.

“Now look at me…good.” Click.

“Roll over onto your stomach, bend your knees up, and cross your ankles… good raise yourself on your elbows… good.” Click.

“All right, it’s time, Miss Granger. Go ahead and get off the desk.”

Hermione climbed off the desk.

“We are going to have you remove your knickers now. First, I want you to stand in front of the desk and hook your thumbs through the waist back on either side of your navel. Cross your legs at the ankle. Good, now tug down on the left side just a bit…” Click.

“Spread your legs a little more than a shoulder width apart, look straight in the camera, and tug down both sides so that your thumbs are right under your hip bones… good… less timid and more like the brave Gryffindor we all know you are… great!” Click.

“All right. Angela, turn her at an angle to me, little more… good. Miss Granger, bend over and pull your knickers down a little past your knees… good, now look at the camera…” Click.

“Go ahead and take them off and stand up.”

Hermione did, feeling nervous once again. Think of the money, Granger, think of all the good you will be able to do…

“All right, face the desk…” Hermione complied with the direction.

“Put your hands on the desk and bend over just a bit… spread your legs a bit more… good… bend your right knee so that it’s touching the desk… move that foot forward… good… now look at me over your left shoulder.” Click.

See, Granger, it’s not so bad… except that I’m talking to myself in my head… Hermione was a bit distraught to think the stress of posing naked for strangers had driven her over the edge to insanity in a way that even being best friends with Harry and Ron and taking down Voldemort had not been able to do.

“Ok, things are going to get a bit racier, now. Bring your hips up to the desk and back your feet away a bit so that you’re leaning over… put your chin in your left hand… good… arch your back… good… turn a little more towards me… spread your legs more… more… good…” Click.

“Lay your chest on the desk and grab the corners of the desk… spread your legs as far as your can…” Click.

“Face me,” Michael instructed. “Sit on the very edge of the desk, please… good, now lean yourself back on your elbows… good.” Click.

“Spread your legs more…” Click. “Good, now get back on the desk.”

Hermione scrambled back up on the desk. She was beginning to wonder if this would ever end, although she figured it would be over fairly soon…

“Lay on your left side, facing me. Prop your head on your left hand, and put your right arm under your breasts… good, now bend your right knee and put your foot flat on the desk even with your left knee… good… turn a little more towards me… good…” Click.

“Miss Granger, you really are doing great. We’ll be finished soon. These last few pictures are going to be very revealing, and I know this isn’t easy for you, but you look fabulous.”

Hermione just nodded, wondering how much more revealing the pictures could get.

“Go ahead and sit in the chair sideways again… ok, now lay back more into the arm, so that your shoulders are over the side and the arm is under your ribcage... Angela, put her left leg so that her ankle is supported by the left edge on the back… good, now dangle she shoe off her toes… good… right leg over the arm…” Click. “Now drop her right leg over the front of the chair so her legs fall open… good…” Click.

“All right, face me… Miss Granger, the chair reclines, go ahead and rock it back… good… now scoot yourself down so that you are sitting against the edge of the chair… good… now drape your knees over the arms of the chair…”

It took Hermione a moment to comply with this direction, as her subconscious mind battled with the part of her that had read the contract. She was well aware that this position would put all of her girly bits fully on display. The part of her that read the contract won the battle, though, and with a deep breath, she complied.

“Good… now put your hands behind your head and arch your back…” Click.

“Keep your legs where they are and cup your breasts with your hands… hmm… cup your left breast with your hand, drop your right hand to your stomach… better…” Click.

“Ok, get back on the desk with your back to me, and get on your knees. Put your weight on your elbows… good… spread your legs more and look over your shoulder at me…” Click.

Hermione recognized the position from one of her sexual encounters and a brief flood of heat went through her as she remembered how pleasurable this position was.

This time instead of having her move, Michael moved so that he had her in profile. “Arch your back more, and tilt your head straight back so that you are looking up…” Click.

“Last pose, Miss Granger. Lay on your back, feet up, knees bent, legs apart as far as your can… good… arch your back and reach down with your right hand and touch yourself… open your mouth a bit, drop your head back… drop your left arm over the side of the desk… perfect.” Click. Then he moved around the desk and took several pictures of this pose from various angles and at various distances.

“Miss Granger, you have been a pleasure to work with,” Michael said standing up.

Angela smiled at her encouragingly.

“Thank you, Michael.”

“Here’s your robe, we’re all done. You will need to go back to where Susie has your things, and David will probably want a word, but the worst is over, you survived.”

“Thank you, again.” Hermione said, taking the offered robe and putting in on. She realized as she did so that at some point she had become comfortable being naked in the presence of Michael and Angela, but that didn’t change the fact that the room was cold and the robe was nice and warm. And comfortable or not, she was quite glad for the security that being covered brought her.

Angela escorted her out of the room and back to the costumer, where she found her own clothing waiting for her in a neat pile, along with Kevin the make-up artist.

“Would you like some help removing the industrial strength goop I put on your face?” he asked with a smile.

“Oh my goodness, yes!”

Kevin’s smile brightened. “I’ll bring her right back,” he said to Susie. Susie nodded and Kevin led her out the door to his workroom, where there was a sink Hermione hadn’t noticed on her first trip.

It only took him a matter of moments to magically remove the make-up, but he still insisted she cleanse her skin with a gentle cleanser.

She realized that once the make-up was gone she felt a lot more like herself.

“Thank you so much!” Hermione gushed.

“You’re very welcome. You didn’t seem like the type to normally wear make-up, so helping you get it off was the least I could do.”

Hermione smiled as he motioned her to precede him through the door and back to Susie.

Dressed again in her own clothing, Hermione felt like the experience had almost been a dream. Only her short hair proved to her that it had really happened.

As she was leaving Susie’s domain, the costumer came forward and stopped her. “Here,” she said, offering Hermione a bag.

“What’s this?”

“The costume you wore. Chances are you may want to model it in private some time.”

“Oh,” Hermione said, blushing, “really, that’s not likely.”

“Well, dear, take it anyway. You can always auction it off someday if you decide you never want to wear it again. We always give them to the model.”

“Oh. All right, then.” Hermione said, accepting the bag.

“David’s waiting for you with some papers to sign.”

Hermione nodded her thanks and understanding, and left to find the editor.

He was waiting for her right outside the door.

“Hermione, I am given to understand that you were a wonderful model.”

“Thank you.”

“If you will step with me to that table, I have the vault transfer forms so that the goblins can put the money in your vault for you. I also have the last page of the contract for you to sign.”

“All right,” Hermione said, following him to the table.

She quickly read through the new paperwork and saw nothing amiss, indeed, she was surprised to see that there was even more money being transferred than she had anticipated.

She looked at him questioningly.

“We took more pictures than we had expected. You will receive a second transfer when we have the layout done and know how many of them will be published and a third after the July issue is published and we have the sales totals. That was in the first contract, too.”

She nodded in understanding, signing on the line.

“Well, Hermione, thank you for agreeing to do this. It’s been our pleasure working with you. You should expect news of this to go to press on last day of May. The magazine will be published on June first, the Anniversary of the day you and your friends triumphed. Be prepared for the reactions, but please, don’t tell anyone ahead of time. The surprise is important.”

“I won’t. And David, thank you for this opportunity.”

“You’re welcome.”

And with that, Hermione Apparated back to her flat.