Eat your vegetables

"I don't know." Bakura shrugged. "I guess it's more interesting then having a load of zombies asking you your opinion on everything from love to Chinese water torture."

"Good point." Remus admitted. "Though I've never been in such a dilemma, I can imagine it would be very frustrating." He added in a tone bordering on sarcasm.

"Well I guess you just wouldn't be powerful enough to have to realize it." Bakura replied slightly disgruntled.

"Oh, Remus I don't think the little prince liked your less than worshipful tone." Sirius commented conspiratorially to Remus, after Bakura had turned and was leaving the library. Was that a twitch in his right shoulder? Any other reactions he either didn't show or Sirius didn't catch them. Remus laughed, but then giving Sirius a serious glance he turned back to his book. Right; back to studying.

"What do you people think you're feeding me?!" came the muffled exclamation of Bakura; at the sight of his dinner no doubt.

Giving Sirius a puzzled look Remus pushed his chair back from the table he and Sirius had been enjoying a delicious Hogwarts meal over. What in blazes did Bakura have to complain about?

"They probably served his dinner on silver, not gold." Sirius commented dryly. Remus simply rolled his eyes. Getting up to leave and check up on their guest he sent the distinct message 'follow'. "All right." Sirius muttered; he had been in the middle of his salad after all.

"I don't eat anything but raw stake and cream puffs!" was the cry that greeted them upon entering Bakura's apartments. They had knocked, but had only been answered by cries like 'I don't care about any bloody balanced diet!' and 'what are you to say what I eat anyway, you shriveled little napkin creature!'

Sirius and Remus were greeted by the site of Bakura towering over a very cowed house elf.

"What is the meaning of this?" Remus asked wearily.

"This thing is trying to feed me some vegetable junk." Bakura exclaimed gesturing angrily at his plate, holding a salad. "And no matter how much I explain, it keeps babbling about the head master and balanced diets."

"But sir, Dusty has her orders. The master is saying that everyone should eat a balanced diet, which includes vegetables." Came the squeak of the house elf, apparently named dusty.

"Well Dusty, I think the master would understand, I'll explain." Remus coaxed, visibly weary of all this mess. "I'm sure raw stake." Remus looked at Bakura skeptically. "And cream puffs can do little damage in one night."

"I guess." Muttered Dusty, walking out she looked back at Bakura with as close to resentment as a house elf could get. Clearly anything that went against THE Master was to be mistrusted and suspected of anything and everything shady.

Bakura glared right back at her. "Don't bother coming back." He snarled. "I can take care of myself and I refuse to have you around me."

Sirius stared at him. "The house elves have served Hogwarts for centuries!" he said, stunned. "You can't just order one to stay away from the room you're borrowing."

"Then I shan't keep the room." Bakura retorted. "I'll stay in the shadow realm instead. Seeing as you don't want me I shall not tax your hospitality any longer." Shadows wrapped themselves around him and Sirius grabbed his sleeve.

"Don't you dare leave now." He hissed. "Or I'll follow you to the shadow realm and haunt you."

Bakura stared at him blankly for some time before bursting out laughing. "You're mixing metaphors inu. Try thinking before you speak next time." The shadows around him faded and he looked back at Dusty, who seemed to have gone into shock. "I spoke rashly." He told her softly. "This is your place and you will, of course, follow your own master's will. Just don't try to force me to eat anything I don't want to. It won't work and you'll just end up hurt."

"You could just have apologized." Sirius complained as Dusty finally left. Lupin was simply staring at them looking lost. "You didn't have to go and threaten her as well."

Bakura stared at him superciliously. "Of course not. She would have done as I wanted her to anyway right?"