Light Me Up [HS AU]

50

"Seriously Harry, I'm going to pass out. My pulse is so high! What if I have a heart attack?" I whispered into my phone, sitting on top of the toilet lid in our en suite bathroom. Alli was getting ready to go down to dinner at the hotel restaurant, while I said I quickly needed to freshen up. In reality, I needed to speak to my brother to calm my nerves.

"Breathe Morgs," Harry chuckled on the other end. "Everything is going to be fine. Just stick to the plan. Do you have the ring with you?"

"Yeah. I think so." I patted my pockets a little desperately, although the ring very clearly was right there in the pocket of my flowy, linen pants. "Phew, it's here. What if she doesn't like it? Oh my God, what if she says no, Harry?"

"She's not going to say no. And she will love the ring. You picked it out especially for her, and she will be so impressed." Harry was cool and collected, which was what I needed at a time where I couldn't be neither cool nor collected myself. "Now take a couple of deep breaths and go have dinner."

"I will," I whispered and hung up quickly, so Alli wouldn't suspect I was sitting on the phone, panicking in the bathroom.

***

We ate a lovely seafood dinner with a view of the ocean, the waves slowly rolling onto the beach. Alli was chatty and cute, while my palms were so sweaty I almost feared she wanted to hold my hand. I was doing my best to keep a straight face, but I was so nervous, it would be a miracle if she didn't notice.

"You're so quiet, are you feeling okay?" she said and looked concerned. She reached out for my hand, and I quickly wiped it on my napkin. An amused expression passed over her face, but she smiled when I took her hand.

"I'm fine, darlin'. Just a little distracted by how beautiful you look tonight," I cued the Stone charm to cover the nerves that were literally making me shake.

We finished dinner and Alli went to use the restroom, while I quickly checked my phone. Harry had sent me a number of encouraging gifs, and small points for me to remember. I put my phone back in my pocket, checked that the ring was still there, and took Alli's hand when she returned from the restroom. Only time would tell what she would say.

***