First Winter

At the house...

Morale is very high.

Why?

After Pork Processing Day, the entire house was cleaned. As in, 'mercilessly scrubbed'.

The clean walls and stuff on shelves are up to Gunther's height level.

The floor and anything a child can reach was thus left to the girls to deal with.

Why?

'This is important because we need to sell clean handicrafts.' said Effa. 'Nobody can go out in winter as snow comes down very hard. We'll also hardly see your father who'll mostly sleep in the barracks as a result if its too hard to go home on foot.' she said. 'And Tuuli will be seven years old come summer next year, so we'll spend all winter teaching her skills she needs to know.'

That was why everything is scrubbed hard, and wiped clean before laundry again.

'What skills?' other than housework and cooking that is, as it's all Myne knew, until she learned how to make candles, lamp oil, and pork products. Stuff of which, is NOT part of an Earth child's education in her old world...

'Girls must master sewing and embroidery. Only then can you be a 'true beauty' men would fight over to marry!' Effa chimed happily. 'A girl who's a good seamstress and tailor will guarantee you a good marriage! Thus you girls must take this seriously because it's a woman's job to make her family's clothes.' she said. 'Myne is too small for this for now, so you watch. Tuuli will practice with weaving. So come over here Tuuli.' said Effa as she stood up to go to the loom not far from them. It was placed near the wall to keep it out of the way.

'Yes mom!'

And Effa taught Tuuli how to weave to produce fabric. And Myne had to put herself in an angle so she'd see how it's done.

'Mom? If we're making fabric by hand...how much is fabric usually?' Myne dreaded the answer to be honest.

'Well...this is Niren Fabric, the cheapest for us commoners...a yard of Niren usually costs 800 rions per yard...' Myne choked hard. 'But even that, is bad for us, so we commoners buy thread spools by the dozen instead, and make our own fabric at home! Thread spools of Niren costs 30 rions...'

With their parents' combined salary, to make a dress for Tuuli alone will cost them her mother's monthly salary, that's if you don't add tailor's fees...

Damn this world, Myne thought in aghast. That's way too much!

'Myne, while Tuuli is working the loom, I'll teach you how to make baskets as this will be your job from now on.' said Effa, teaching Myne how to make baskets.

After some first four uglies, Myne was able to refine her craft to make it look better to match her inner 18-year old self's standards.

'Well, not bad after a few failures...' said Tuuli as she looked at Myne's past work and her current ones. The past works were uneven and loose, and clearly, one use will see to it falling apart, even if their dad lacquers it for use for sale.

'I was trying to copy our containers for vegetables...' Myne sighed. 'My past work didn't turn out as I'd hoped, some material got wasted.'

'Well, failure is the mother of invention to begin with, so don't get so down Myne. Even girls your age mess up at first and I was no different back then.' said Effa soothingly. 'How will you learn if you don't fail?' she chuckled. 'For now, you will master Tuuli's old jobs and Tuuli will learn new skills, so by the time she's baptized next year, she can go straight to apprenticeships as soon as possible!'

Myne thought she already mastered Tuuli's old jobs in the house which means, she has forest work left...

T-that's OK...she can tell what's edible and not...

She can tell the goods and how to use them after all. Surely there's more goods. Tuuli stuck to comfort zone out of justified fear that none of them, can afford a doctor if she took risks.

xxx

On a clear day...that means all windows open to let light in...

'Myne! Wanna join me and dad to pick Parue? We can only do it on a clear snowy day like today!' Tuuli asked Myne as she pushed their groggy father out of their bedroom.

'Parue? What's that?' Myne asked, already done with breakfast.

'It's a mysterious tree made of ice that only appears on early mornings of clear winter days.' Myne thought that's waaaay too specific. 'To pick the fruit you need to heat up the branch to make it soft. You can't use fire or it'll disappear, so you have no choice but to rub it with your bare hands till you get it!'

'Sooo we sell it?'

'NO! We drink it!' Gunther laughed. 'If sold, nobody can ever afford Parue to begin with! So everyone who gets some just keep it to their families.' he said as they got ready to leave. 'It's sweet, creamy and delicious!'

So they went to pick some!

Myne scanned the tree with her magic.

If you can't use fire, you can heat your hands...right? And there's a good reason why malnourished folk live long. By eating this fruit, you're healed of all ills in the body. Effectively rejuvenating you.

She tried and it worked. She melted the stupid ice branches faster!

'Wow Myne! Two in ten minutes!' her father marveled.

'I'm still hot from cooking!' Myne fibbed her way out. 'But I'm losing my trump real fast because this tree is so cold!'

Her family got six in total.

And when poked with a heated branch at home to get the creamy 'milk' out, it was enough to fill a wooden mug. Each fruit amounted to that much, that each family member has one, and the doting parents gave the extra two to their daughters. Myne knew that their future as healthy little girls, is solid. And her body is on its way to healing.

But still, it was hard removing the hardened magic clumps around her heart that made it difficult for blood to flow. It was there when she took over, when she scanned herself. She took her sweet time trying every Charm theory she knew to tweak Charm Spells she learned in Hogwarts to extract this foreign body out of her. Yet strangely enough, her body recognized the magic clumps as part of her body because it was her magic to begin with. Had it been any other object, her Immune System will make her life hell for sure.

She reshaped the clump into a blunt-tipped teardrop with a small hole for a string, so she can wear it as a pendant one day, thus keeps it hidden in the storeroom where she puts her soaps. It was colorless. Like the clearest glass. She also can't openly wear it, she'd get questions she can't answer otherwise...

It was an interesting sight to her, to say the least. But her condition improved when she got it out! She no longer tires easily despite all her exercise as her blood flow is finally free to do its damn job.

She is fully-healed hence.

On another clear day, after yet another Parue-picking...

Gunther strained the lees from inside, after Myne got the oil from it. The Parues they have, was enough for her to make yet another batch of six from it.

'Tuuli will show you the way to a friend's house.' said Gunther, giving the girls a bag of strained lees. 'Exchange these for eggs.' he instructed.

'...a friend's house?' Myne blinked.

'Yeah, I usually work with them when we go out to the forest...it'll be your turn soon, Myne.' said Tuuli. 'Next year, Ralph and Fey will be in my batch in baptism so it'll be mostly Lutz accompanying you. He's also five years old going on six since we're all summer-born kids.'

'Oh...'

In this world, no such thing as birthday celebrations for kids. Their 'birthday' depends on the season they are born. It also doesn't matter if it at the beginning, middle or end of the season, you celebrate your birthday with everyone else at the beginning of said season. Like how she was four years old when she reincarnated here, only becoming five at the beginning of this year's summer.

'Well dad, take that bar of soap with you OK? So you can bath properly in the barracks.' said Myne. Gunther grinned.

'Ou!'

xxx

'I'm glad you no longer tire so easily Myne...I guess having tasty food for months made you feel better.' said Tuuli happily as Myne can now go downstairs without heaving for air on her own. Normally she tires every few minutes, got extended to ten minutes in the past...now, no problem!

'Yup! My way of cooking made me feel better!' Myne chimed happily while thinking, "Sure, let's go with that." not like she can explain the truth...sheesh. 'Where is this house?'

'Well, it's fifteen minutes away on foot...' said Tuuli. 'You can go downstairs easily now, but the real challenge is going upstairs OK?' she said worriedly. 'We'll take it slow.'

'Alright...'

'I told the boys your style of cooking is loads better.' said Tuuli. 'They asked their moms to try it out at home and they're doing it since! The boys would tell me they're enjoying delicious soups every day now!'

'That's good to hear. We deserve tasty food.' Myne snorted.

This family owns a chicken farm. They can afford it as being Carpenters pay better than being a Soldier. But as of late, the father Deid is a stay-home man due to a knee injury. But still, if they have access to chickens and eggs every single day, combine that with forest goods and Myne's cooking method, the man would have healed by now.

Upon arrival as Lutz' family also lives on the fifth floor...

'Hello! We'd like to exchange bird feed for eggs~!' Tuuli called out.

A blonde boy opened the door.

'Oh, hey there Tuuli.' he greeted. 'This is...' his eyes fell on Myne. Compared to them who have tanned skin, Myne was very fair as she never went out much. If she ever did, it'd be with her entire family, as Tuuli told tales that she went out on Earthday Laundry Day and Pork Processing Day.

'This is Myne.' said Tuuli. 'By spring, she's now healthy enough to go to the forest with us.' she said excitedly. 'Eating her way of cooking got her stronger and not sickly any more!'

'That's a good thing. I'm Lutz.' the boy beamed as he introduced himself to Myne. 'Never thought Myne's way of cooking helps. Dad's leg improved too, less pain that by spring, he can go back to work!'

'Well, both our families have good news.'

'We still have eggs, but we're also too full with bird feed now...' said Lutz weakly. 'Its not just you who came to us for eggs...'

'Well, you can never have too much since winter's unpredictable.' Myne piped up. 'Sometimes having too much on bad weather can be a good thing.'

'Right...' Lutz took the sack. 'I'll be back with six eggs, alright? We're hatching new chickens so we can't afford to give out too much eggs now so you guys are the last.'

And so...after getting the eggs, the girls bid Lutz farewell.

xxx

Spring came...that Myne caught up to Tuuli in height at long last. And the Parue soap has an effect on Gunther.

The ultimate cosmetic as Gunther did not look his age. He looked younger than he should with firmer skin that glowed in health. His wrinkles all gone! He hoped for Effa to bathe daily at work before coming home, so she could enjoy the same beauty he got as they still have five more bars of Parue soap!

Good news aside, there's also bad news.

This was a disaster as Tuuli's clothes are very few! Which means they're sharing! That and Tuuli is still, a head taller that her own clothes are too tight for her now.

'We have no choice now as I have to focus on Tuuli's dress for the summer every time I'm home!' Effa was anxious now. 'Tuuli, I taught you how to weave and sew clothes. You have to make your own new clothes while I focus on your Baptismal Dress! And you can't go out, not until you have a new dress!'

"Looks like laundry will have to wait a bit..." Myne thought wryly. She made Tuuli grow at the same pace as her, until her body stops at her current age. That, and she was bringing out Tuuli's femininity with magic, so as she grows older, she would be more feminine in beauty, not androgynous like everyone else. Even Myne has this magic on herself and she will not stop until Tuuli has her first period, casting it every single day during night time.

It was a magic she learned from Fleur when she began asking Fleur about French Magic when Fleur got fond of her after she saved Gabrielle from the lake.

'Zis is 'ow we french witches are beautiful. You 'ave to start girls young, doing it every day until their first period! Zis no longer works past menarche.' Fleur would say. 'All french witches worth their salt must know zis! For french witches, beauty is everything! Use zis on growing boys, they grow 'andsome instead!'

It took three days for Tuuli to have a new dress, that Myne has to go out on her own to join the boys.

'Wow, Tuuli grew so big she has to sew her clothes from scratch?!' Ralph was astonished as Myne joined them without Tuuli, and wearing Tuuli's old dress, and got Tuuli's old knife and backpack basket for foraging. She really felt like a Weasley now! Myne wore her hair into a braid too, to keep it out of the way.

'Tuuli grew up at end of winter...her old things are mine now, too tight for her.' said Myne. 'Mom won't let Tuuli out until she has at least, ten new dresses which she'll dye for Tuuli when she's done making them, so its me till she makes em' all.' that means Tuuli's stuck at home till further notice!

'...yikes...and mom's got all of us to deal with...' Lutz sweatdropped.

Karla has four sons according to Tuuli. Zasha who's 11, Sieg 8, Ralph 6 and Lutz 5. Imagine making clothes for all four boys! By herself! Myne pitied the woman, especially come puberty. Zasha and Sieg are already apprentices. And this year after getting baptized, it'll be just her and Lutz now.

They left the city together and Myne felt giddy as this was her first adventure! All on her own!

FREEDOM!

In her past, she was hardly allowed to go out. By the Dursleys who treat her like the family's shame, and on the Wizarding World's side, they hardly allow her to go out too because of danger, yet hypocritically, they're fine with her facing annual school dangers!

And on the run during war, she never got to enjoy traveling for Horcruxes as they have to constantly watch their backs, and Ron being a wanker due to lack of tasty food as she and Hermione can't cook outside or risk getting caught! She had Hermione drag Ron home for being trouble in an important mission that can end war sooner so they can all go home sooner!

In those days, they can only cook and eat spam and bread. And cooking said spam IN the can to keep the smell away until cooking's done.

And Hermione who had better people skills, understood what she implied at the time.

Ron is such a BURDEN. And burdens are burdens at dangerous missions. She took Ron to Shell Cottage and put him to sleep while telling Bill and Fleur his attitude before leaving. While Hermione was gone?

Carwen visited muggle bookstores, and stole comic books she long wanted to have. Her eyes also discovered japanese comics on sale, thankfully translated into English. She naturally, took what took her interest and eschewed Marvel Comics as they're so thin, while these book-like comics are ten chapters in one book! And reading all of them, gave her ideas, which served her well till her death at the Final Battle in Hogwarts. At least, she got to enjoy such childhood longing before she died.

She read Mr. Ajikko, Lady! Magic Kaito, Handsome Girlfriend, Fushigi Yuugi, Marmalade Boy, Magic Knight Rayearth, Flame of Recca, and Cardcaptor Sakura as she was on the run for two years, stealing when she can and when Hermione's asleep. She sneaks out solely for these as there's updates during the two years she was on the run! And she got interested in Japanese Food, thus nicked a cookbook too and learned the fifth savory taste.

She was a master of British, and American Cooking so far, employing Dobby and she practices in the kitchens in Hogwarts while she mastered British against her will as Petunia put her to work. Out of petty revenge, she never 'gave her best'.

When Hermione caught up to her, she felt that telling Bill and Fleur after knocking Ron out cold, is 'punishment enough' as she knows Bill and Fleur will tell Ron off on their behalf. And actually without Ron complaining, things got much smoother and their morale much better.

Shaking her head about her past life, she focused on foraging as they split up. Myne immediately using her magic to analyze by sight...and began her first foraging escapades! So many unknown tastes!

"I better not forget to get firewood though, or I'll be in trouble..." she thought wryly. And when it's her turn to sew clothes, she can make use of her knowledge in comic books.

Japan's got good cute taste...she was just sad she never got the chance to see the ending of some of her interests.