full hearts, full moon

[Erin Park]

Erin ran a hand through his dark hair as he let out a sigh. He was ready and he was confident, but there was something making him nervous about this full moon. He knew they were going to get through it without a hitch, just like the last two times. This time, though, the girls would be here.

Scooping up Duri in one arm and holding Hana in the other, he placed a kiss on both their heads and left their nursery to make it downstairs where Willie was waiting. Earlier he'd brought down the bassinets so they could all be together for the evening… he'd gotten them ready for bed with a bath and cozy jammies.

"Hi mama," he leaned in to press a kiss to Willie's temple when he found her, before sitting down on the sofa… the same sofa he was sitting in when he found out she was pregnant. "How are you feeling?"

[Willie Vanderhyde]

Visions of twelve years old were busy flashing through Willie’s mind. Her usually confident and unshakable sense of steel was nowhere to be found and all she was feeling was anxiety and fear.

She recalled all too well how she felt in the earliest days of her condition. She remembered wondering if the potions would work…or if she would lose control.

And for eight years now…Willie had successfully managed and hidden her condition. It wasn’t until she knew she could trust Erin’s family that she had told them. And they had all accepted her as she was. And they were a godsend.

The past few months, they had babysat Hana and Duri on full moon nights so that Erin and Willie could gauge how she was doing postpartum. And everything seemed normal. So they had decided that this full moon, they would keep the girls.

And sitting on the sofa, staring at the bassinets, Willie was trying to calm herself. Erin and her daughters joined her and Willie gazed at her daughters lovingly before looking to Erin, kissing him softly.

She didn’t need to say a word…Erin would be able to read her fear all over her face. But there was no time left to change plans. Eyes darting out the window…Willie knew she only had minutes left.

Leaning in, she kissed each of her girls before standing and moving away from them. She didn’t want to risk hitting or knocking one of the bassinets in her transformation. So until nature took her, she moved to sit on her usual full moon perch of a rock formation where she could still see them.

And as the time came…it never got easier. The transformation was always so painful. She only hoped she had muffled her cries enough to not disturb the twins. It never took long though. Within a minute…Willie was the stunning, jet black wolf she harbored within her.

Gazing at her children and her mate through canine eyes, the wolf whined softly…afraid to approach them.

[Erin Park]

Yes, even behind the kiss Erin could sense her fear and hesitation. He felt a little strange himself, but he knew Willie could do it. If anyone could, she could. He was a little nervous about not joining her in his animagus form as he typically did, but it was at her own insistence that he remain human form.

He supposed she had a point, to be at the ready in case something happened, but he knew she would have self control.

Erin knew it was time as she moved, keeping herself away from the bassinets as he laid them down, both the girls staring up at the lights and cooing happily. He didn't like to watch her transform… he knew it was painful, and he didn't like seeing her in that position. He heard the cries and continued rocking the bassinets to distract the girls, who yawned and curled happily in bed.

The quiet notified Erin that she was transformed and he glanced toward her, softly smiling. Her wolf form was almost as gorgeous as she herself. Slowly he moved from the sofa toward her, gauging her feelings at the moment and if all was okay, he would beckon her forward to meet her girls. His hand outstretched as per usual, he waited for a nudge or a response so he could touch her face.

[Willie Vanderhyde]

Everything looked both sharper and more dull at the same time behind the eyes of the wolf. She could see the details of Erin's silhouette that she couldn't notice through human eyes. But...the colors were so muted. Staring at him as he smiled at her, her heart felt a little lighter.

So far everything was okay.

He reached for her, and she padded a couple of steps toward him to nuzzle her head into his palm. It was a strange concept...but in this form, the soft feeling of him petting her felt a lot like the way he held her when she was a biped. It was comforting. It was needed.

Her eyes darted toward the bassinets and still she hesitated. She wanted so badly to be near her children...but she was still worried.

Her eyes returned to Erin and she waited for his opinion...his assessment. If he thought it would be fine...then surely it would...

[Erin Park]

Willie padded a few steps closer to him, and Erin perhaps felt a little strange petting his fiancee like this, but she made it clear she did not want him to be in his wolf form...and he obliged. She nudged her head into his palm and he slowly leaned in so he could kiss the top of her furry head. He trusted her with all his heart - she was a smart woman, and a mama wolf. She would know if she wasn't able to handle it or not...and so far, so good. Erin didn't see any reason why she couldn't step closer to her babies at this point, so when he saw her eyes dart toward the bassinets, he found himself looking that way too, before nodding his head in that direction.

"Let them know their mama is here," he said, softly. "I'll be right here - I know you're nervous but I also know you can handle it. Your mother instinct is much stronger than your wolf instinct." Wolfsbane potion might have been a risk while she was pregnant, but Ben had reassured that it was not...there wasn't much research done on the subject but Ben...man was an encyclopedia worth of knowledge and when he found out about Willie's condition, had dove into texts and his own physical research to make sure that the girls, and Willie, were as safe as they possibly could be. But the point was, he knew the potion would make this safe for both Willie and the girls.

[Willie Vanderhyde]

She hadn't realized just how amazing the soft touch of someone she loved could feel in this form. She was so used to the feeling of him cuddling with her on the sofa...or kissing her good night. On the full moon nights she had gotten used to him and his animagus form...the two of them curling up together on the stone centerpiece in the entrance way of the house.

But the soft touch to her head...the kiss...her senses were heightened and it was lovely.

But for now, their attention was on their children...and Erin seemed to believe in her. So after a moment's paused, she made her way there, snout sniffing the little ones as she whined softly. She wanted so badly to be able to hold them. But morning would be here soon enough and she would be able to again. Just as she was about to back away, a tiny hand reached up...resting just on her snout. Willie froze, her eyes watching as Duri stared at her...her tiny little hand resting against her. Perhaps it had just been an infant reaction that caused her hand to fall on her. But...the infant wasn't screaming...she wasn't crying over a werewolf being so close to her.

Something in Willie stirred. It was like Duri recognized that this was her mother. The soft touch and the soft gaze felt like acceptance. It felt like love. Willie couldn't help the emotions that overtook her. And all she could do to relay her emotions...was whine softly. Soft little tiny howls as to not wake Hana...all she could do to tell her baby she loved her so much.

[Erin Park]

So far, everything was going smoothly. He could hear Willie's soft whines as she padded softly over to the girls, sniffing them. He could only imagine how much their baby smells were heightened in her werewolf form. He didn't move too quickly, taking small steps toward the matching bassinets just as Duri’s hand waved out of the bassinet and landed on Willie’s snout. The wolf's eyes softened and Erin's heart almost exploded - it was like Duri knew that was her momma.

Erin reached into Hana’s bassinet and stroked the sleeping infant's hair, smiling at her softly. ”She knows you're her momma, Will. You're amazing,” he reminded her, looking back up to catch her eye. She was massive, but he'd never been afraid of her just like he knew the girls wouldn't be. Perhaps they would be animagi, too… but the likelihood of them all being wolves would be quite slim, he was sure.

[Willie Vanderhyde]

As Duri just stared at her, Willie leaned a little closer. Erin's words hit her ears and her eyes flicked up to observe her fiancé as he gently caressed Hana's hair. She was so lucky to have such a sweet, loving little family. She'd never imagined deserving this. She had always thought her nights would be spend alone, curled up on her makeshift throne through the full moons. Maybe running through the spans of woodland behind her home.

But to have someone like Erin...who cared for her so much and loved her unconditionally. And to have two absolutely perfect children who didn't understand the hate the world had for her kind. It was more than she could have ever asked for.

As Duri's hand retreated back into the bassinet, her big brown eyes fluttering closed...Willie sat back onto her haunches and watched Erin. It was going to be a longer night than they were used to...but somehow it all seemed a little more okay. She didn't think it was so hopeless anymore. Inching her front legs forward, she laid down just in front of the bassinets so that she could rest but still be close to her children and soon to be husband. She assumed that at some point in the night, Erin would lay on the couch and find sleep as he could. She felt bad that he'd have to tend to anything the girls needed on his own tonight. But she knew she would wake up too if either little girl began to cry.

[Erin Park]

Maybe Willie had thought she would be alone at one point in her life, but that wasn't the case anymore. Not only did she have Erin, who would happily transfigure into his animagus form to be with her, but she also had the girls. And his own family, those that knew, were absolutely supportive. But for full moons, she had Erin, Hana, and Duri. It would be the four of them together. Their girls would be raised to be so understanding and respectful to all kinds - there would be no hate in their household. Erin with his muggleborn status, and Willie with her wolfiness. It was all so ridiculous.

Erin watched as Willie lay down on the floor, keeping close to the bassinets rather than up on her perch in the entryway. Erin pressed a kiss to Hana's forehead before moving toward Duri, and doing the same for her. After he stood back up, he moved toward Willie and sat down beside her, offering her a big smile. "How lucky are they to have such a protective momma," he offered. Everyone made points to mention their mama bears, but these girls had an actual mama wolf. They were going to be just as strong as she was, too - he just knew it.

[Willie Vanderhyde]

Willie watched as Erin kissed both babies and, oh, how she wished she could do the same. After a moment, he moved to sit with her on the floor and he smiled at her…effectively melting her heart.

She picked her head up before resting it in Erin’s lap affectionately. Her eyes stared up at him in a puppy dog fashion, all her love radiating through her gaze.

She truly couldn’t wait to marry him. She wanted to be his wife and she wanted her babies to come up in a solid and joined home. Nudging her nose against him softly, Willie huffed playfully. She knew how lucky she was to have Erin.

She lifted a paw…pawing at him a moment before resting her paw on her own head…trying to tell her fiancé to look into her mind. If he understood and obliged…he’d see all of her thoughts about how much she loved him and how she wanted to marry him sooner rather than later.

She just needed him to know.

[Erin Park]

Willie rested her head in his lap, and he put a soft hand against the top of her snout before leaning down to press a kiss to the top of her furry head, too. He didn't know what she was thinking (Erin never used his skill without permission) but he could tell just from the way she was looking at him how much love was there. A small smile flickered on his lips as she nudged him playfully, a small laugh escaping him when she did. Erin wasn't used to being in his human form when she transformed - it was a completely different experience and he sort of enjoyed it. He supposed if the girls were going to be around more often for them, he would be in his human form going forward. Erin wasn't upset about it - he could read Willie pretty well even without diving into her mind.

A soft paw ran against his arm and he looked first down at it, before looking at Willie, who seemed to be pawing at her own head. At first he thought maybe she wanted some pats, and he reached forward to do so, leaning on her slightly as he yawned. But, the more he looked at her, the more she seemed to want something more, and he furrowed his brow as he realized that perhaps she wanted him to look into her mind. He chewed on his lip as he contemplated the idea, closing his eyes as he leaned into her and found thoughts of nothing but love, their future, their babies...a home she created in the confines of her mind with him. He could feel the love. He could feel the impatience for their impending marriage, and...shooting back out of her head, he caught his breath and opened his eyes. Pressing a kiss to her snout, he held her close. "We can get married whenever you want. Tomorrow, even...although I'm sure neither of our parents would appreciate that too much," he joked.

[Willie Vanderhyde]

Willie whimpered as Erin reached for her. Not that she didn’t relish his touch…but that wasn’t what she was after right now. And as he seemed to realize what she wanted…she watched him as his eyes closed and he leaned into her. As she felt him slip into the realm of her mind, she rested a paw over him as if she was hugging him.

She knew he saw it all and as he left her head, coming back to her in real time, she closed her eyes as he kissed her snout. His words touched her soul and she nuzzled into him.

Perhaps they wouldn’t get married tomorrow…but tomorrow they would start to plan. They could set a date…they could look into venues…they could talk cakes and colors and catering. All of it.

And then she would marry him. She’d marry him and spend her days as his wife. The thought made her howl softly in excitement…careful to keep it quiet enough to not disturb the slumbering little girls above her.

[Erin Park]

Erin loved her so much. He didn’t get in her mind unless she asked him to - usually times like these when she wasn’t able to tell him what she was thinking. As he leaned in to her, he smiled softly. A soft howl escaped her and he looked over at her with a grin. ”I take that as a sign of agreement?” he teased, glancing over to the girls, both of whom were still sleeping quite soundly. They had to be the perfect babies.

”You’ll have to think about when. Who, where,” he said, knowing it was going to be a lot of planning. But Willie was the world’s greatest planner (somehow between taking care of twin babies and a grueling quidditch schedule) and he knew it would be the best event. He didn’t want her taking all of the weight, though. ”I can’t wait to make you my wife,” he said softly, leaning into her again.

[Willie Vanderhyde]

Erin smiled at her small howl and as he teased her a bit, she huffed slightly in affirmation. She loved Erin with all she had. And knowing that they were going to be able to spend the full moons as a family going forward was just even more joyous.

He talked a little more about the wedding...planning it...all of that. And honestly, she already had a few ideas. They had plenty of land here to do a beautiful outdoor wedding. Plenty of space to host a reception and plenty of rooms to have the respective parties get ready in. Erin had seven brothers that would be groomsmen. Willie...did not have seven friends. But...perhaps all the partners of the boys would be willing to be her bridesmaids? She'd only have to find one more after that...because to her knowledge...Bo was still single.

They honestly could elope and Willie would be entirely happy. But she knew neither of their parents would be okay with that. Honestly, she couldn't wait for the morning...she'd be human again and they could plan their life together...

It was all she wanted.

[Erin Park]

Erin leaned into Willie’s thick fur as he thought about it - going to that quidditch match with Evan that day didn’t seem like the start of his future, but here he was. Everything happened in such a flourish back then - hooking up, hanging out, finding out about the twins. Erin hadn’t been the most composed through that time, but thankfully he had the support of his family to help keep him together. And when they all found out about the girls? They were all thrilled. Just as thrilled as he was. And now he was going to be able to make Willie his wife, sooner rather than later. Things were a lot comfier now that they were a little older, not having to worry about them as much. But of course, Erin did. He was a natural worrier.

”It can be small, or big…I don’t know how many people you’d want in the wedding party or anything,” he talked, absentmindedly. He wasn’t sure how many girls Willie had in her life to be a part of the wedding party. ”Or it can just be us. I don’t know. It’s up to you, really,” he said, glancing over at her. He could feel sleep taking over his eyelids as he sat, warm by his fiancee. The girls were breathing deeply, and he knew he’d be up in a few hours to feed them and get some baby snuggles in, but for now he was content with snuggling Willie.