The bouncers at the door acted like they didn't notice her presence until she was just ten feet away from them. "You're at the wrong door, sweetie," one of them said, but under his teasing tone, Hermione caught a professional tenseness.
Operating a strip club must be more dangerous than she had initially assumed — another reason to find Harry Potter as soon as possible.
"I … I'm here for a job interview," Hermione murmured, with no need to fake her hesitation. Her voice cracked worse than she ever remembered.
Then, hesitancy was replaced by hurt, driven by the sudden expression of disbelief on the face of the guard. Hermione was aware that she was hardly the most beautiful woman, but such a direct reaction from a bouncer still hurt, her confusion making it hard for her to dismiss.
"F-for the waitress job," she stammered as she passed them her ID. "I already have a scheduled interview."
The guard examined her ID carefully, making her glad that the ID was magically reinforced to look convincing. Even then, they had checked her cover name on their phone before giving it back. "It checks out, Miss Haley, you can go in," he said, and the door opened.
She walked through the door, and, unlike what she expected, she wasn't suddenly hit by deafening music. She could still hear it somewhat, but she realized the staff section was isolated effectively, probably to allow the dancers to rest between sets.
A hopeful detail about the situation. Too bad any good feeling she had about it was replaced by an instant flood of inadequacy when a blonde walked past her.
A stunning blonde that could easily look fitting on a runway or a movie. With a beautiful face, flawless legs, and an incredible bosom, Hermione found herself registering. The only thing that was missing was … her dress. Wearing only a black g-string and boots, with her bra in hand to reveal her glittery tits, Hermione could easily imagine her creating a chain of deadly accidents just by standing at the edge of the road.
Like she wasn't feeling bad enough.
Hermione closed her eyes, trying to ignore the sinking feeling of inferiority, the kind that she always felt when she shared a room with Lavender, the way Ron's eyes would follow her even after they started dating… Maybe even reaching the level she felt whenever she shared a room with Fleur and her supernatural beauty…
She wanted to take a few breaths to calm down when she felt fingers on her shoulder. "Hey, are you alright? You look a bit pale."
Hermione opened her eyes, only to find herself face to face with the blonde dancer. If it wasn't for the compassionate expression on her face, Hermione would have retreated.
That, and the mission, the realization hit, reminding her that she had managed to forget the reason for her arrival in seconds. Tonight was not her night. She was too distressed.
Pity there was no chance to delay the mission.
"Sorry, first-day jitters," Hermione managed to say without collapsing.
"Oh, you're a new dancer, welcome," she said cheerfully. "You can call me Candy."
Hermione felt her blush climbing up to her neck. "No, not a dancer," she stammered. "I don't think I can do that. Definitely not … brave enough."
"A waitress, then," she said, and Hermione nodded, not trusting her lips not to spill anything. "Why so nervous, then?"
Before Hermione could answer, she saw someone passing through the corridor, this time carrying a tray to signify her as a waitress. The only problem, was she was wearing a racing outfit costume, or at least, an even more exaggerated version with a small striped top, and a skirt that revealed her ass with each step.
"Oh, you're feeling self-conscious, poor thing," Candy said and hugged her. Hermione appreciated the intent, even as the move made her even less comfortable. It was shocking to be hugged by a dancer.
An almost naked one. Even back in her dorm, she was shy about such things, and back then, none of her roommates actually try to hug her naked.
"I-I'm not," Hermione stammered, but the beautiful woman pulled back, and pinned her under her gaze.
"You are, but you need to be more careful with maintenance. Maybe better makeup, straighten your hair, and get rid of this bulky trenchcoat,"— Hermione felt the front opening before she even registered the fiddling — "and rest of this garbage. Honey, you're beautiful, but what you're wearing is simply criminal. No wonder you're feeling overwhelmed."
"I … it's not my habit to dress up," Hermione added.
"First time in a strip club, then," Candy asked.
"Student loans," Hermione answered her unasked question.
"Ahh, brainy and beautiful, nice," she said, her laugh crystal, then her face brightened even further. "You know what, I just have a half-an-hour break. How long do you have until your audition."
"T-ten minutes," Hermione admitted.
"With who?" Candy asked.
"Someone called Mr. White," Hermione said. As she admitted that, she thought she saw a flash in Candy's gaze, but before she could make sure, she dipped her head down and typed a message.
Hermione had no idea where she was keeping her phone in the first place — though,, considering her distraction, it was likely that she had been holding it in her hand from the beginning. Then, before she could follow up, another waitress passed, this time wearing a slutty officer costume.
"Good, Mr. White says he has no problem pushing the audition back a few minutes. Do you want me to help you with a quick makeover? I can do wonders in a few minutes."
Hermione was about to reject that, too overwhelmed with the situation, when she remembered her mission. It would be a disaster if she actually failed to pass the audition of Mr. White. She didn't want to infiltrate the place any other way.
And she certainly didn't want to send Ron inside alone to explore, and not just because of her jealousy. There was no way Ron could actually walk around convincingly in a muggle establishment without her constant prodding. Add in the numerous naked ladies, and it would be a true disaster.
"Really, you would do for me," Hermione stammered.
"Of course, but with one condition," Candy said, Hermione tensed. Candy didn't notice that and continued speaking. "I'll cover up the mirror for the duration of the makeover, so that I will see your surprise at the transformation. It isn't too much to ask, right?"
Pinned under her gaze, Hermione had no chance but to nod, even though she could feel that she was losing control of the situation. She could only imagine how many men made the mistake of looking into those eyes, only to lose every last banknote as she danced.
"Excellent," she said as she dragged Hermione into a large, well-equipped room, with more devices and cosmetics than Hermione imagined existing. "You're lucky Sandy is not here, so we can have the room to ourselves."
Before Hermione could say anything, Candy throw a towel over the large makeup mirror, and turned the small hand mirror, before she grabbed a hair straightener. "They don't really work on mine," Hermione started.
"Oh, not this beast. It's a topline professional machine," Candy said as she worked. "Pity we have only half an hour, I would have loved to add a haircut to the mix as well," she murmured.
Hermione nodded, then closed her eyes. A part of it was the fact that she was overwhelmed. Another fact was that Candy was still mostly naked, and keeping her eyes closed was better than actually trying to avoid the sight of her naked breasts.
"Not exactly a speaker, right?" Candy said.
"Feeling nervous," she admitted.
"Oh, nothing to feel nervous about," Candy said. "Actually, let's chat, it'll help you to get out of your own head. It's not good to fixate for half an hour."
"I don't know what to say," Hermione admitted. It was not her usual attitude, but then, receiving total makeup from a naked stripper was not usual as well.
"Why don't you talk about England?" Candy said. Hermione stiffened, fearing for her mission. "Your accent, sweetie," Candy reminded her. "It's pretty distinctive."
"Right," Hermione muttered.
"Pity you're not a dancer. Men would die for your cute accent. A sexy brunette and a cute accent are a deadly combination, especially if we fix you up with the correct costume. I had a feeling you'll do wonders as a sexy librarian, maybe enough to break my record."
"T-that's impossible," Hermione stammered.
Candy chuckled. "Oh, honey, believe me, nothing could be further from the truth. You're an uncut diamond, turning you into a masterpiece is very easy. Maybe I should be afraid of my job," she chuckled. Hermione froze. "Now, let's get you to relax. I would have offered you some alcohol, but it's not a good idea before an interview."
"Have you ever been to London," Hermione found herself asking.
"No, but I always wanted to go. Why don't you give me a little verbal tour, sweetie…"
Hermione started speaking as she worked on her body. Candy was right, she felt relaxed as she talked…
Author notes: Important update. From this point on, I'll also be putting my fanfiction to my pat, visit if you're interested. Advance chapters for this story is already available there.
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