Initiation || Self Para
“Excited?” Rodney nudged Vidia’s side as they waited for her initiation to begin.
“Yeah, it's been a long six months,” Vidia exhaled and steadied herself.
“Docinha!” Vidia spun around to see her uncle. “You look so grown up!” He ran over and picked her up for a hug. The skirt of her dress spun as they did and kept going even as they stopped.
“Tio, this is Rodney. Rodney this is my uncle, Vincente,” she introduced the two men.
“Nice to finally meet you, sir. The Guild Master has mentioned you often,” Rodney offered him a hand.
“Likewise. Except for the Guild Master part. I've heard quite a few things from Vidia, though,” Vincente winced as he felt a tiny elbow jab into his side.
“You guys should go. I have the first part of my initiation to prepare for.” She pushed them toward the doorway.
“Good luck, docinha,” her uncle gave Vidia a tight hug.
“Uh,” Rodney looked at Vidia then her uncle, “good luck?”
“We're adults, Rodney,” she leaned to whisper into his ear. “You can kiss me in front of my uncle.”
“What?” He blushed.
“If I fail, my memories of this place will be obliterated. That includes you. I get it if you want to kiss me. My uncle would get it, too.” She shrugged. She wanted him to kiss her. She wouldn't tell him that, though.
“Well, if you insist,” he dipped down to meet her lips with his, even with heels she was still much shorter than he was. His arms wrapped around her and lifted her petite frame off the ground.
Vincente cleared his throat when it got to be awkward. “We have to begin at some point kids.”
“Don't fail, okay?” Rodney whispered before giving her one last peck.
“I'll try not to?” She shook her head. Six months ago, of she would've been told any of things she was going through or doing she would've punched the person in the face for such accusations. Rodney wasn't exactly her boyfriend but she liked him almost as much as he liked her. She didn't know if she wanted it to turn into something more. However, if she failed, she wouldn't get much of a choice.
Rodney left with her uncle and Vidia was left alone. She tried to recall Claire’s lesson. She remembered Chamise’s tips.
She inhaled and exhaled. She never wanted something so bad in her life. The need to pass her initiation beat any need she ever had to win the house cup or a quidditch game.
“You’re up,” Fitz came to collect Vidia. He looked so formal with his three-piece gray suit. “Remember, you speak after Pennelegion.”
“Gotcha, Fitz.”
“Just don't call us nicknames during your initiation, okay?”
“Gotcha, Lower Guild Master Pike,” she gave him a wink and they both left for the large room where she first met the Guild Master. Vidia looked at the ceiling and the light from the candles bounced around the small dome and illuminated the image. It was a dragon. “Wow.”
“Dragons are the fiercest flyers,” Fitz whispered as they made their way to the center where Ridgewell stood.
“Welcome,” Ridgewell offered a hand to Vidia as she got closer. Fitz ushered her until her hand met the Guild Master’s and he took his place with the other officers or the faction. “Tonight, we are here to honor our tradition and initiate this young woman into our guild, into our family. Vidia Ligeiro, are you ready to take that step?”
Vidia studied for months. She knew the entire initiation process inside and out. Claire would have been very proud. That was why it came to be a surprise that Trina interrupted the Guild Master, “Are you ready? Really? Are you?”
“Trina,” Vidia hissed through gritted teeth, “What are you doing?”
“Stopping you and our lovely Guild Master from making a huge mistake,” Trina whipped around, her cloak catching the air as she did and rippling as it settled. “Our Guild Master intends on passing our faction over to her uncle who undoubtedly will end up leaving it to her. Why? Because of some ridiculous legacy!” Trina’s words dripped with jealousy as she drew her wand and held it against Ridgewell’s throat. “You should have named a better heir. Someone who deserves it. Someone who has served you for years with unwavering faith. Instead, you bring in her and her family!”
Vidia cleared her throat before speaking, “Whoa, Trina,” She flashed a quick grin, “I don’t want the faction. I just want to finish my initiation. So, let’s just get that over with then you can talk it out, okay?”
“Oh, shut it! Pretending to be all sweet and nice! You’re a bitch. Let it out, Ligeiro! I know you hate me. Speak your mind.” Trina hissed with her wand still jabbed into the elder’s throat.
“You want the truth? Fine. You’re a jealous heinous bitch who needs to shut up and let me finish my damn initiation. So, kindly remove your wand from the Guild Master’s throat or I will make you, cadela. Is that better?” Vidia kept her mind focused on her wand. It was on her hip, in the waistband of her skirt. She needed to keep that image and focus. Trina already had her wand out. She had the advantage. But, Vidia was also a part of the dueling club. She wasn’t completely helpless in a fight of wands.
“Put the wand down, Trina,” A voice came from behind the tall woman. Vidia grinned because out of all the time she cursed Rodney’s silence, it came in handy.
Trina turned her head for a second and Vidia had her opening. Vidia drew her wand and blasted Trina across the room. If it were a proper duel, Vidia would have given her a moment to prepare but it wasn’t and Vidia wasn’t feeling generous.
As Vidia made her move, a few others made theirs. Fitz and Alf both drew their wands and held stoic faces. “I have this handled. We can finish.” But they didn’t move. Vidia looked at where their wands were pointed and her usually tawny parlor drained. It was a coup.
“Put the wand down, Vidia. This doesn’t concern you,” Alf spoke.
“You’re fucking with my initiation. It concerns me,” Vidia wasn’t about to drop her wand. She drew it out and was ready to fight. Rodney had moved alongside Ridgewell and drew his wand as well. He knew that he could best Trina but not Alf and Fitz together. He had to trust that Ridgewell had a plan. Or at least Vidia’s big mouth would talk the situation into a different direction.
“Things like this happen. Vidia, please, step aside.” Fitz tried to keep calm and cool and collected. He was a stark contrast to the man next to him. “No one has to -”
Fitz’s words were cut off by a shot from across the room. Trina came barrelling through firing off as many charms as possible in her frenzy. Vidia threw up a protection charm and tried to deflect the best she could. Trina was determined and angry.
Then chaos ensued. The room was divided, Ridgewell supporters and Fitz supporters. The legacies supported Ridgewell while the loners, the new blood, supported Fitz and his claim over any legacy. People who had been friends for years, decades even, were at one another’s throats.
Vidia had her sights set on Trina. She ruined everything. It was her who interrupted. It was her who first threatened Ridgewell. Vidia was going to make sure she paid for what she did. She was going to pay for ruining the one thing she looked forward to more than anything.
They both cast several charms against one another until Vidia was close enough to make physical contact. Trina was tall but Vidia was fast. They did more damage with their fists than they did with their wands.
Then Trina stopped. Vidia sent a foot into her gut before looking at what caused her opponent to freeze mid-fight. “No!” She shrieked and ran across the room while jumping over injured witches and wizards.
She skidded to a stop and felt a lump rise in her throat. “Rodney,” she nudged him with her foot but he didn't move. Her face felt hot as she knelt down to nudge him again, “Get up!” She yelled into his ear. “For Merlin’s sake! Get up!”
“He's gone,” Claire came up from behind Vidia and tried to pull Vidia to her feet. “Come on.”
Once to her feet, everything stopped. Fitz’s voice echoed, “Enough! Ridgewell is dead. This is over.” Sobs could be heard around the room. Vidia was silent as the anger brewed within her. “Bring Ligeiro!”
Two men pushed pass Claire and scooped up her under her arms and brought her to Fitz. “Let me go!” She kicked and screamed until she was set before Fitz.
“I'm sorry, Vidia,” he stepped aside and showed her the dead body of her uncle. “Death is never easy but it is necessary. We-” A green flash illuminated the room and Fitz crumbled to the ground.
“He monologs too much,” Alf shoved Fitz’s body to the side and stood in front of Vidia. “Look, he was going to kill you. I, on the other hand, find you valuable. So, I'll give you options. Join us or have your memories of us erased.”
Vidia looked around. Ridgewell, Tio Vincente, and Rodney were dead. The anger and the pain she felt surpassed the feelings she had when Lorena died. “Erase the memories.” She wasn’t going to live with more pain than she already was in on a daily basis.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Once they're gone, they're gone.”
“I know. Erase them. I have no respect for what you've done. I might not be the best person but you didn't have to kill to get power.” She hissed.
“Just like Fitz said, death is necessary.”
Vidia went to lunge at the older gentleman but the two men that brought her up there caught her by the shoulders. “That's bullshit and you know it!”
“I wouldn't have been able to become Guild Master until after Fitz. Then Ridgewell decided to name an heir. That pushed my claim even further back. I would never become Guild Master. I was doomed to remain a Guild Commander for the rest of my life.” Alf walked over to Ridgewell’s body. “Now, I'll be Guild Master. You should thank me. Like I said, Fitz was going to kill you. My first act as Guild Master will be to show mercy. Let you live.”
“Then shut the fuck up and get it over with. I'm tired of listening to you.” Vidia scoffed as the two guys held her in place.
“As you wish,” Alf drew his wand and trained it on Vidia.
***
3 weeks later…
Vidia was walking through Hogsmeade enjoying the rare occasion of sunshine in the Scottish summer. Her mother was right that a little fresh air would do her good. It had been weeks since they received the news about Tio Vincente’s untimely passing. He was her favorite uncle and losing him pained her almost as much as losing Abuela and more than losing Lorena.
Then there was a crash from the alley as she walked by. Vidia stopped to take a peak at what happened and a cat darted out causing her to jump. “Ooph,” Vidia slammed into someone.
“Watch it, puto,” she hissed as her neck craned to look at the person. He was the tallest person she had ever seen. So tall, even, that she almost didn't see the grin that swept across his face. “What's the smile for?”
“Oh, nothing. How about I take you out for a drink to make up for my offense?” His blue eyes stared down his angular features.
Vidia gave him a side eye. “What kind of drinks are we talking?”
“Whatever kind you want.”
“Okay…”