On God?

Chapter 9

in which she learns about sirius's lost love.

"Why the bloody hell is there a snake around your neck?" Was the first question that awaited me once I sat down next to Ron at the table that my company was currently occupying.

"Because he's an absolute cutie." I said, giving Beelzebub a gentle head pat, and he closed his eyes in content, enjoying the warmth emanating from my body, likely the first human contact he had gotten in years.

"But it's-he's a snake." Ron said, staring pointedly at the bally python as I sighed.

"Ron, what do you have against snakes? Is it because Slytherin's mascot is a snake? Because your house prejudice is a little ridiculous." I pointed out, and Beelzebub gave a sort of satisfied smile.

"Niccce to meet you all." He hissed out, and nearly the entire table's eyes popped out of their sockets.

"He talks!" Hermione was the first to speak.

"Interesting choice of a pet, dear." Mrs. Weasley said warily.

"Wicked." Fred and George said simultaneously.

"Yes, he talks. Yes, it is pretty cool, and he's less of a pet and more of a friend." Blair gave a smile as she spoke to each of the people that had spoken, Mrs. Weasley's shock wearing off first.

"Well, we've had stranger pets." She said, giving me a warm smile. "Welcome to the family."

The last bit was aimed at Beelzebub and, when I looked over at him, he had a faint snakey smile on his face.

"Thanksss." He hissed, and I laughed, stroking his back briefly.

"I think I made the right choice choosing you back at the shop." I said before I disappeared in a flash of green fire, the location stated in a harsh whisper.

"Twelve Grimmauld Place!"

Beelzebub's arrival had mixed reactions.

Remus and Sirius had both been slightly wary at first, but eventually warmed up to him as the three joked between themselves.

Tonks had absolutely adored him, from the moment he had introduced himself.

Emma...Emma was deathly afraid of snakes, and the fact that this one could talk didn't help much. Beelzebub said that it didn't matter if she didn't like him, but I could feel that he was slightly down.

"She just isn't used to..talking snakes. We don't have many...or any of those where we come from. In fact...where we come from...there isn't any magic, actually." Wow, you don't say.

Beelzebub looked alarmed, well, about as alarmed as a snake could look.

"How can that be? No magic at all?" He asked, shock plain as day displayed in his voice.

"It's hard to explain." I sighed, leaning back against the wall that I was currently sitting with my back to. Beelzebub was curled up in my lap, one of my hands stroking his back, the other stroking his head.

"Emma and I are from the future." I said bluntly. "Twenty five years and some odd months from now."

Beelzebub was silent for a minute before he spoke again. "Well, that isss cccertainly ssstrange." I snorted, unable to help myself.

"That's all you have to say? Well, I suppose that it's good you don't have questions, because I probably wouldn't be able to answer them."

"I've heard ssstranger. You'd be sssurprisssed the thingsss you learn when you ssspend ssso much time in a pet ssshop." He said the last two words with such distaste that I couldn't help but break into a smile.