Roots - h.s

11.

              Crisp Trepidation,
              I'll try to shake this soon.
              Spreading you open,
              Is the only way of knowing you.

STERLING'S POV:

    I sit up, and watch as Harry Potter casts the spell, his patronus coming out of his wand effortlessly, and I gasp, and see Harry smirking next to me.

    "Oh shut up. He just saved himself, and Sirius! That's insane, seriously I-"

    "Sterling! I'm home!" My dad bellows out as he walks back through the front door, and I look to the kitchen, and see the time, not realizing it was around eight at night.

    "We're in here!" I call out, pausing the movie. He walks in, and sees both of us sitting on the couch together.

    "Did you get any work done today?" He asks, and I look at Harry.

    "I convinced her to watch Harry Potter with me, and to take a break from all the treehouse building." He tells my dad.

    "I like you already..." He jokes and I roll my eyes. "I hate to break it to both of you though... Criminal Minds is about to come on, and I've got to catch this episode so the TV is unfortunately for you, but fortunate for me... Mine." He walks over, and holds his hand out. "You two go.. Build a fire or... I don't know, go to bed, it's your bedtime." He steals it away, and shoves himself between the two of us on the couch. I roll my eyes, and nod my head to Harry. We both get up, and walk towards the back door. He opens it for me, and I grab two blankets quickly, and walk out of the door.

    "Well, what's the plan?" He asks, and I motion to the makeshift fire pit that hasn't been used in quite some time.

    "Mr. Smarty pants, use your brain and build us a fire." I nod my head, and he looks at the pit. I watch as he starts forward, and I see the look on his face which makes me smirk. "You have something to tell me about bonfires don't you?" I ask, and he turns over his shoulder, nodding his head. "Spill." I laugh softly, and he sighs almost like he was trying so hard to hold his random fact spill inside.

    "A fire is a chemical reaction called Pyrolysis.. It all comes from the excitement of electrons actually.. There's many more components to a fire than just wood, and flame." He tells me.

    "Is that why you can't just light up the entire log.. You need pieces before it'll actually start?" I ask, and he nods his head.

    "Exactly... The wood being broken up into pieces releases a chemical bond which expends energy. Each small piece needs to absorb enough heat to start the process of burning. As the cellulose in the wood gets hotter and hotter the water within it is driven out and they break which in turn causes a fire." He informs me, and I feel like in an odd way I can relate to the fire. I don't speak back, I just watch as he starts the fire effortlessly, obviously knowing the perfect science of how to do it. He in turn sits down across from me, having stolen one of the blankets, he kicks his feet up and looks at me.

*play fine line by Harry Styles*

    "Hi." I speak to him.

    "Did I bore you too much?" He asks softly, a smile tugging on his lips.

    "No, not at all... You got me thinking." I tell him.

    "Thinking about what Sterling Silver?" He asks cutely, and I smile.

    "Myself... You... Just people." I tell him.

    "How? How does a fire make you think of yourself, or me, or anyone?" He asks, and I smile, looking to the mesmerizing flames. I feel their warmth, and I envelope their beauty... The dangerous beauty they possess as I think on how to form my own words.