"Witches," Castiel is instructing his interlocutor when Sam returns with the Book of the Damned, breathless (he and Rowena need to set up an inter-library loan protocol, ASAP), "never kiss their familiars, Dean. "

The gold-green head wriggles a little, a makeshift shrug.

"It's a good thing angels do," Cas goes on placidly - head already bent - oblivious to the vertically frozen snake on his palm, "ever since Our Father made De-Serpenting an extra credit assignment, while reminding us to bless all creatures short and sleek - Winchesters included."