This story has been reposted and reworked within an inch of its life. This is do to the page long review of Xoni Newcomer. Thank you. This has not been beta'd but anyone who would like to is welcome to e-mail me at Prncss_Earth@hotmail.com. I hope this clears up the mistakes having to do with the timeline as well as adding a little more intimate aspect to Lita's relationships. It is being reworked, all of it. Please review to support.
Living the Life I Was Meant to Live
Chapter: 1
Date: May 13, 2003
Author: Fate's Child (Terra)
I was not even sixteen when I was killed for the second time. I won't even begin to count the numerous times I'd ended up with broken bones, cuts, bruises, concussions and memory loss. But the second time I died, I was not just killed, but my very soul was taken. I had not felt that way for a long time. Since the day my parents died.
Now, because of me, you all may be under the impression that my parents had died in a plane crash. When I was 12. But this is a lie. An evil wizard murdered my parents when I was five and three quarters. So now you can tell why I've told everyone that they were killed in a plane. I lived with, until I was ten, an uncle of mine that, if he knew where I was at the moment, would still continue to support me. He teaches at one of the best wizard schools in the world. Hogwarts.
So anyway, when I turned twelve, a woman named Setsuna took me from my uncle. She vaguely explained my destiny and promised to my uncle and I that I would be back for year two at Hogwarts though she wouldn't tell us how. Anyway, Setsuna took me from Hogwarts and put me in the muggle world in a place I didn't know the language. Tokyo, Japan. You know my life from the time I was discovered to be Sailor Jupiter.
Okay. Now that you have some background, back to where I started. When our star seeds were returned, I was surprised to find that I was not, as my fellow senshi were, reverted back to my 15 years of age, but instead in the body of a twelve year old me. And when I woke up, I was not in Japan at all, but back at the grounds where I had spent most of my life. Hogwarts. Just in time to watch the whomping willow catch a car in its branches. I watched in fascinated horror as two boys were thrown from the car with their luggage and the car took off without them.
"Hey! You guys okay?" Both looked over at me as I ran towards them.
"Who are you?" The red head asked.
"My name's Lita. Who are you?"
"I'm Ron Weasly and this is Harry Potter." Lita's eyes showed a slight surprise at both names and she stuck out bother her hands. After she shook the boy's hands, she looked Harry in the eye.
"My parents were murdered by Voldermort. Thank you for whatever you did to stop him." Then she turned to Ron. "Any relation to Bill and Charley?"
"They're my brothers." Lita smiled and asked about the car. When they finished explaining, they heard a shrill voice that made Harry and Ron wince and Lita's heart jump.
"Come with me you two-" she sputtered to a stop. "Li-Lita? Lita put on her best are-you-talking-to-me-I'm-so-sweet-and-innocent look and smiled. It worked especially well because a) she was in a twelve year old body again and b) she had been watching Usagi do it for years.
"Yes Ms. Minerva?" She gave Harry and Ron a wink as the teacher dropped to her knees and hugged her close.
"Lita, how…?" Lita smiled and looked sheepishly at the tree.
"I missed the Hogwarts Express and used the car. I didn't know anyone was in the back." Professor McGonagall looked sternly down her nose at Ron, Harry and Lita.
"Well, you've missed the sorting ceremony. But I suppose I could excuse the use of enchanting a car since you had to get back here somehow Lita." Roan and Harry's mouths dropped open. "Now I suppose you should all come with me." She, much to the surprise of the two boys, winked at Lita. "Everyone'll be glad to see you, Leets." She turned on her heel and headed towards the school.
Lita fell back and looked at the boys. "I figure they'll be so worried about how and why I got back, there's no reason to get you both in trouble for something that gave an answer to one of my questions." She then took off, running towards Professor McGonagall. Harry and Ron looked at each other and shrugged, trudging up the hill after her.
When they finally go up to Dumbledore's office, Harry and Ron gaped as the young girl jumped into Professor Snape's arms and gave him a kiss on the cheek before hugging him as hard as her arms would allow. They were even more surprised when he hugged her back, smiling. They faintly heard her whisper, "I missed you, Uncle Severus." She then moved to Dumbledore and gave him a hug. She looked over to Harry and Ron and smiled.
"I guess you're wondering about all this. I'm Lita, like I said before, and Professor Snape is my uncle."
"Wait a minute." Ron's eyes widened. "Lita Kino?" When she nodded, Ron jumped up excitedly. "Bill and Charley told me about you. But how are you our age?"
Everyone in the room noticed how her eyes grew harder and older. Much older then they should have been. She stood, standing at the end of the room facing everyone.
"Whatever happened to me while I wasn't here will not be talked about. Anything pertaining to my age or the age I should be will go unanswered. Any questions about Setsuna will be ignored." She took a deep breath and looked around the room. Snape looked at her hard.
"I am your legal guardian and you will tell me." Lita shrugged and gave a small smile, walking towards the door. "Lita Kino!" Snape's voice carried an angry tone Harry and Ron knew too well. Lita didn't even turn around. Her voice was sad, but she spoke clearly.
"I told you what I would and wouldn't do. If you won't respect that, I will not stay here." Her hand was on the door when again, to Harry's surprise, Snape sighed.
"Stop. I won't force you to tell me. But if it puts you in danger in anyway, you are to inform me immediately." A mischievous smile broke out on her face and her eyes regained their previous twinkle.
"Oh, of course." Snape was going to repeat the words when he remembered that Harry and Ron were still in the room.
"Potter, Weasly, get out!" Lita smiled and walked to the door with them. "Lita, where are you going?"
"To my room. It's been entirely too long since I've been there." She smiled at everyone in the room, blew a kiss and closed the door. She turned and looked at Ron and Harry. "I had to get away before he asked me if I was still practicing my potions."
"Bill and Charley told me all about you. You're Snape's niece and everyone loved you. You're the one that kept them out of trouble because you took the blame for their pranks." Lita shrugged.
"I wasn't technically in Hogwarts at the time so they couldn't kick me out." They reached the Gryffindor tower. She smiled at the Pink Lady.
"Hello Mistress Painting."
"Lady Kino." Both Lita and the painting giggled. A moment later the painting swung open. "Ask these two the password, they're in and out more then anyone else."
"You didn't even have to give her the password!" Ron said, amazed. Lita's answer was drowned out by Hermione.
"A car?!" She rushed passed Lita who smiled when she saw that the girl had a book clasped in her arms that she promptly hit the two boys with. "For goodness sake, a car?! How could you? Are you expelled?"
"Actually, no." Harry nodded towards Lita. "She took the blame for us."
"Lita Kino."
"Hermione Granger." The shook hands. "Oh! You're the empty bed. The one in green and pink."
"I had Dumbledore agree to change it. It made me feel better my first year here." She smiled. "I know Ron and Harry are dying to tell you about me and what happened. I want to go up and look at my room anyway, so I'll see you all later." She winked and walked up the stairs. Her eyes watered as she reached her old bed. It was big and heavy, covered in deep green and had sheer pink covers over. She collapsed on the bed and tears leaked through her closed lids.
For the first time since she woke up with her star seed again, she let the battle and it's aftermath flash through her mind. She had failed to protect Usagi again. All the senshi, minus the outers and Starlights had been destroyed in one swoop. Anger boiled. At herself and the enemy that was already dead. Without thinking, she transformed her clothes into her karate gi and ran down to the field outside, heedless of the cold air and dark skies. She walked to the Whomping Willow and bowed.
You're back.
"Sorry about earlier. I was-"
I understand.
"I need to practice. I promise not to hurt you, but I need a strong, fast opponent. One with many arms." Lita smiled. "I should give you my memories from when I saw you last." Waiting for the feeling of agreement before placing her arms around the tree and her forehead against the cool bark, she let her feelings and memories flow from her. When she had relived her memories as a senshi, she dried her eyes and bowed again.
Ready?
She nodded and flipped back as a branch crashed behind her. The next hour was filled with grunts of satisfaction and pain as well as sweat and concentration. Unused to a small body, she spent the first half of the training session getting used to it. Every emotion she'd held, every frustration of her time as a senshi, every time she couldn't' protect her friends, her princess, the world, was released. She could have gone on for hours had a scream not interrupted her concentration. The willow knocked her back and she lost her breath.
"Stop, sorry."
You've gotten better.
"Thanks." The tree bent down its branches and picked her up, placing her next to three pale-faced figures. "Hey guys." Lita sat on the ground at their feet.
"How did you…what were you…" Hermione sputtered.
"It's a gift. I asked the willow to help me practice my reflexes."
"We thought you were going to be in for it!" Harry exclaimed.
"Sorry to-"
"What are you all doing out here?!" A voice boomed. Lita jumped up and gave a happy cry.
"Hargrid! 'Rid, 'Rid, 'Rid!" She jumped up and latched herself onto his waist by grabbing his belt loops.
"Ta!" He gave her a delicate hug. "when did you get back 'ere? 'Ow come I'm the last to know and why were you playing with the whomping willow so late?"
"Got back today, don't know why ya don't know and I was practicin'" Lita smiled internally. Even though she was technically 15, she was having fun acting 12 again. She thought of something and turned to Harry, Hermione and Ron. "How'd you get out without getting caught?"
"Errr…" Recognizing their discomfort, Lita looked at them seriously before saying,
"You don't have to tell me. In fact, don't. Not until you're ready to trust me completely."
"Why?" Hermione sputtered.
"I don't want you to tell me for fear of me telling on you. We better get back. You three, get in the same way you got out, I'll do the same." She turned her eyes to Hagrid who'd gone silent and closed them. "I'm not looking, go."
"You can look now." Hagrid whispered. "You're not 12, are you?"
"Not technically. But I can't tell anyone. I promised. How's Fang?"
"Been takin' care of 'im for you."
"I told you before I left, he's yours." Lita giggled. "I'll show you one secret." She kissed him on the cheek, "bye!" and teleported, reappearing in her room. She took a quick shower and went to bed. There was only one other girl besides Hermione in their room. She yawned and fell into a deep sleep.
In the morning, she woke up early and went down to the hall. There were very few people there. She took a seat and looked around, trying to see any changes.
"I don't remember seeing you here before." A cold voice said from behind her. "And I certainly don't remember catching your name."
"That's because I didn't throw it." Lita snapped back, not even turning around.
"You a first year?"
"Second."
"You weren't here-"
"Look," Lita turned around and looked into the cold eyes of Draco Malfoy. "I don't like your tone. AND I don't have to listen to what you're saying. I am none of your business, Malfoy."
"Do I know you?"
"No, thank god. But I know your father and he's a slimy-"
"You'd do well to remember who is important. This is just a warning-"
"I don't want or need a warning."
"Lita." Ron, Harry and Hermione joined her.
"So you're hanging out with Mudbloods and-" Everyone in the hall watched in amazement as the new girl kicked Draco across the hall. She dealt with Crabbe and Goyle just as quickly. She then walked to where Malfoy was and offered him a hand up.
"You call anyone here that again, I will do more then throw you across the room. Take my hand, Malfoy. You don't want an enemy out of me." He grabbed her hand and threw her over his head. She flipped and landed gracefully on her feet.
"I gave you a choice. You blew it."
"Is there a problem here?" Both Lita and Draco turned around.
"No, sir, Professor Snape." Lita said. "Mr. Malfoy and I were just best discussing how we could be… friends."
"I wouldn't want to have to take points from Gryffindor, Ms. Kino."
"Sir, she threw my across the room, sir." Draco whined. "I was minding my own business and-"
"Ten points from Slythern for lying to my, Mr. Malfoy." Everyone cheered. "And five points from Gryffindor for throwing him across the room, Ms. Kino." Everyone groaned while Harry, Hermione and Ron all watched in shock. They never thought Snape would deduct points from his own niece.
Chapter 2
Both Fred and George sputtered when they heard what had happened during breakfast the previous day. It was breakfast once again and as the twins asked her again to teach them how to throw someone, she simply smiled and continued eating her breakfast. A few minutes later the owl post arrived and she watched as Ron paled.
"Uh oh," she smirked, "looks like someone at home knows that I didn't steal the car." She gave a giggle, as Ron ran out of the great hall, howler clasped firmly in his fingers, and a yelp when a heavy package fell into her lap. She picked it up and warily fingered the letter on the top.
"Muggle paper," George commented. Lita opened the letter and swallowed hard. It was in Japanese.
Dear Mako-chan,
I felt it was time for me to fulfill my promise to you and your uncle. I hope you didn't think that I'd forgotten or lied to you. You have not, as you've already figured out, just been plunked back into a teenage body as the others have. Instead, you have been placed back into your 12 year old body. Your destiny entails so much more then any of the senshi know. I placed you in the past and it will be two years until your other self is even discovered as Sailor Jupiter.
How, you are asking yourself, is that possible? When I took you from you Uncle you were only eleven years old and had already completed a year of Hogwarts. When I took you, I also took you to the future-where I then raised you for two years to be self sufficient in the muggle world. However, I could not return you (as it wasn't in destiny's plan) to the same year that I took you from, or even a year after. It had to be three years, after Harry Potter had come to Hogwarts and made his own friends. You are to help protect him, do not shelter him from everything though. And DO NOT INTERFER with those things that I will owl you about. You may keep the owl that brought you this letter, as I wish for you to have him. He is yours to name. Be aware of Dobby, and for Serenity's sake, Mako, do NOT go looking for trouble.
Good Luck and may the Moon look upon you with favor,
Meiou Setsuna S.P.
She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat as she read the letter. It hit her for the first time that she wouldn't be able to see her fellow senshi or advisors for at least four more years. Otherwise, there would be two of her and that would cause a paradox. It was already a thin line she was walking, simply having two of her exist at the same time, albeit they were in different places. The weight of her package brought her back to reality. Slowly opening the paper that covered it, she ran into a deep green velvet fabric that was covering whatever Setsuna had packed for her. Her mouth dropped open as she peeled away the fabric and a heavy book fell out with an engraving on the front. She stared at it a full minute in fascinated horror. It read:
A Princess's Book of Beloved Memories
By Makoto, 3rd Princess of Jupiter, 4th senshi of the moon, 2nd magical advisor
Silver Millennium – present day
"What is that?" Harry's voice came from her right. She threw the book and the letter into her sub space pocket before turning to stare at him.
"Nothing. A joke from an old friend of mine." She thought about the letter. "Who's Dobby?" Harry, Ron, and Hermione all dropped their forks.
"How do you know about Dobby?" Harry questioned warily.
"I was warned to watch out for Dobby-and you."
"By who?"
"Someone who is very worried about something evil coming after you." Lita finished her breakfast and stood.
"Where'd the book go?" Hermione asked as the brunette turned to leave. Lita flashed a cocky smile.
"What book?" She walked out of the door towards her fist class.
* * *
Lita looked around in amazement. She never thought that she would see such a room in the back of a library. Oftentimes as a child she had roamed the halls of Hogwarts, moving about in rooms and passageways she wasn't even sure Dumbledore knew about. It drove her Uncle absolutely mad. But in all her years she had never, ever found this room. Not that she spent that much time in the library as a child, of course. She sat down in the plush green chair facing the small fire place and idly picked up the book resting face down next to her. Her eyes widened in surprise as she stared at the title.
"How did you find this room?" She whirled around in her chair and stared at the boy in front of her.
"None of your business. Why are you here?" Her voice was sharper then she had intended.
"This is my-" the voice, previously angry, stopped to compose itself. "I don't suppose that's any of your business as well.
"That's just dandy, then." She opened the book.
"But that is my book and I'd appreciate if you returned it." Noticing the name on the inside cover, she did as he asked and was surprised when he didn't turn around but instead sat down across from her.
"Was there something else, Mr. Malfoy?"
"You know," his voice was thoughtful, "that you sound exactly like Professor Snape does when he snarls 'Mr. Potter' when you do that." She smiled slightly.
"Do I?"
"Yes." He hesitated for a moment before sighing. "Look, I suppose I'm sorry for trying to toss you."
"And the insult?"
"You insulted me just the same before I'd even met you proper." She looked thoughtful.
"I suppose I did. I didn't like your tone of voice, got my back up I suppose." She smiled slightly. "I don't want to be your enemy, Mr. Malfoy. I don't want to be your enemy at all."
"And I don't want you as mine either." They looked into each others eyes and saw the darkness. It was a look that spoke of knowing scarier things then each other.
"Then I suppose you should call me Lita. All my friends
do."
"Draco then." He sneered.
"But if don't think that just because I'm talking to you I'll talk to
that mud-"
"Respect." She interrupted him and had the pleasure of seeing irritation cross his features. It seemed that Draco wasn't used to being interrupted.
"I beg your pardon."
"Pardon given. However, if we are going to be friends there will be no insulting my other friends while we speak. I understand if you don't want to be friends with them, I'm not making us a package deal, but you will respect them while I am in the room."
"And Crabbe and Goyle?"
"I will not insult your friends unless you give me leave. At least not maliciously." Draco looked thoughtful for a moment and then gave a sharp nod of his head.
"Agreed." She smiled.
"All right then. You remind me of someone, a friend." Her eyes grew distant. "Arrogant as the very devil himself, thinking he had everything. Annoyed the hell out of us after a while," she said, thinking of Seiya. "But in the end he was one of the best." 'All it took,' she thought, 'was realizing he had nothing but that everything was waiting for him'. "You remind me of him," she said again. "Good night, Draco." Without another word, she walked out of the room. Draco Malfoy sat there for a few more minutes thinking before picking up his book and reading in front of the dying fire.
* * *
Severus Snape was scowling at a third year student's quiz when she walked in. She just stared at her uncle for a moment, reveling in the fact that they were just around each other again without having the questions of years apart between them. She let her lips curl upward as she noticed that he still kept up the illusion charm making him appear to be greasy and sallow looking. It made him look…evil. She'd taken great joy as a child in watching him take off the mask every night. It would relax him and suddenly he wouldn't just be a surly old potions professor anymore, but instead her uncle, the only one in the world who loved her. Or so it had felt like at the time. As he viciously marked an 'F' on the paper, she cleared her throat.
"Uncle Severus." A fist clenched painfully around her heart when she saw the guarded expression come down over his face. "I-" Shaking her head, she backed up a step. "I'm sorry, I'll leave you to your work."
"Lita… please. Take a seat." Though still guarded, his expression had softened some.
"You don't trust me anymore." Despite the fact that she was 16 years old, her voice came out sounding like the 12 year old she appeared to be. Her uncle moved to the front of the desk, resting a hip on the edge in front of her.
"Of course I still trust you, you daft child. However, you did disappear for three years. And yet, when you appear again, you are still the same age as when you left. It does bring up certain… questions. Especially about the woman who took you." He raised an eyebrow. Lita winced. Her uncle's eyes were smoldering. Lita was quiet for a long time, trying to figure out for herself exactly how it had worked out.
She had been taken from her uncle the August before she turned 12 years old. At that point her two closest friends (big brother types that her uncle would gladly kill), Bill and Charlie were about to start their seventh and sixth years respectively. She also heard that the twins, Fred and George were set to begin their first year as she began her second. That would mean that when Setsuna took her, she would have had to bring her to the future-oh shit. Her eyes widened. That meant that Setsuna had taken her three years ago and put her in Japan the same time that Lita was sent hurtling towards back towards England after her battle with Galexia. So for three years, Lita Kino did not exist at all. She would age the same way as her "senshi" self would be aging. But how to explain-
"All I can tell you, all I am allowed to tell you, Uncle Severus is that she has some control over time. I am older then I look, yes, but still as untrained in witch magic as a second year. My mind is that of a fifteen year old, yet my body has the limitations of a twelve year old. But I cannot be unhappy for those lost years because I get to spend time with you now."
"For both of us, three years have been lost." His voice was bitter. "And now, now it is dangerous for you to be my family."
"Three years that we can never really get back. But I'm not leaving now, not if you drag me through the halls screaming." Her voice was passionate with anger.
"Above all else, Lita Kino, you are my niece. You are my blood and you have my love." His voice was steady and quiet.
"I missed you. I missed you more then the magic, more then the castle and the way I feel inside it." He sighed and wrapped her in a hug, moving so that he was in the chair she had been sitting in and she was in his lap.
"I know." For the moment he was content to hold her, to remember what he had found in her those years ago. Though the back of his mind had the Dark Mark burning bright he pushed the image away for just this moment. His baby was home.
--- If you want more, then let me know. Otherwise I'll leave it up to your imagination!
-Fate's Child
