It would be a full week before Severus would return to Grimmauld Place.

In that time Remus slowly began to sulk when he was alone for any length of time. Sirius would find him sitting in a chair or laying on the couch staring off into space with a wounded puppy look on his face. By Friday he could take no more of the man's brooding and finally sat down next to him to figure it out.

"Come on Moony, what's eating you?" Sirius took a large swallow of his whiskey and nudged Remus with his elbow.

"Nothing," Remus mumbled, shooting an irritated glance as Sirius snorted.

"You've been sulking around all week, now there's got to be something wrong." Sirius watched as Remus made a face. "Could it be something to do with Snape?"

"Of course not Sirius, don't be ridiculous," Remus huffed.

"So, you're sulking about Snape then," the animagus grinned. "Now that we've narrowed that bit down, so what has the greasy bastard done, then?"

"It's not about Severus," Remus was adamant, but he did appear to have deflated a bit. "Why hasn't he come back around?"

Sirius snorted into his whiskey, then grimaced as it burned his sinuses. "Miss your potions master?"

Remus pinked and prepared to deny it, but scowled at his feet and nodded. "He started to be kind of… sweet before he left. In his own Snape-ish kind of way. I guess I thought maybe he was willing to try to work something out."

Sirius gave him a pained, sad smile and patted his knee. "I'm sure he's just been busy."

"Right," Remus muttered. "I guess I just got used to him being here all the time."

The animagus nodded. He wouldn't admit it aloud, but he rather felt the house was void without the dark, brooding man about either. At least the kitchen smelled better.

"I'm sure he'll be back," Sirius shrugged and raised his nearly empty glass. "Albus ordered him to help you so he's bound to."

"Gee thanks, Padfoot, your trust in my love life is nothing short of remarkable," Remus grumbled, throwing himself back in the chair as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"What love life?" Sirius grinned. Remus didn't think it quite that funny and he literally growled at Sirius and bared his teeth. "Come on Remy, don't get sore at me. Hell, I haven't had any so long I'm practically a virgin again!"

Try as he might, Remus couldn't stay mad at Sirius after a remark like that. He rolled his eyes heavenward before he laughed outright. "We'll probably need lessons," the wizard gasped out, laughing like mad.

"Or lots of practice," Sirius waggled his brows and joined him, howling.

"Or perhaps you both need less alcohol and a larger bowl of kibble."

Both men snapped to attention, nearly coming to their feet. Snape stood in the den entry with one eyebrow raised.

"Severus," Remus breathed. The sound was filled with awe and elation, it made the hair on Snape's arms stand on end and a mass of worms wriggled in his gut.

"I hope you are prepared to work, Lupin," He managed after a moment. "I've been… detained later than I expected and we have time to make up."

"Alright," Remus stood and cleared his throat, glancing at Sirius and brushing his way past Severus into the kitchen. Sirius rolled his eyes and stood up too, stalking toward the kitchen and winking at Snape as he passed.

The potions master pinched the bridge of his nose and followed them both out, wondering just what he had walked into.

Remus was making tea, fidgeting back and forth around the open space as though he didn't know what else to do. Snape watched him in bemusement, a little awed that he had made Lupin that uncomfortable without even scowling first. Even Sirius found his friend's actions cute; little Lupin, flustered as a schoolgirl with her crush in her house.

"You've been gone longer than I thought," Remus muttered before looking a bit embarrassed and corrected himself, "Longer than we thought, I mean."

"Sometimes things happen that we cannot control," Severus accepted the cup of tea and stared down into it. "At any rate," he continued, "we have very little time. Have you attempted any transformation while I've been gone?"

Remus stared sheepishly at the table. In all honesty, he had forced the thought from his head. "No, uh, I haven't."

Severus let out a slow, hissing, exasperated sigh. "Lupin…"

"I know," Remus bemoaned, sliding down in his seat. "But you don't know how scared the thought of it makes me."

Snape raised a brow again, he had some idea after all… only a few nights ago in fact. "Come here," Severus demanded, pushing out the chair next to him.

Remus blinked slowly at him before standing and carefully sitting on the edge of the seat.

"Black," Severus waved him over with a hand, "Sit on the other side, and put down the alcohol you idiot."

Sirius scowled and drank the rest of his glass and slammed it onto the tabletop, resisting the urge to cough as it burnt brilliantly in the back of his throat. He sat down next to Remus and drew his chair up close to the wolf's, knees on either side of the thin man.

Severus nodded stiffly and turned about so that he mirrored Sirius and they had effectively cocooned Remus between them.

Remus took a slow breath in through his nose and mentally swore at his warming libido. Sirius swayed gently in his seat, Lupin didn't know how much the animagus had drank before Sirius had found him in the den. He glanced up at him through his fringe and smiled weakly as Sirius winked and smiled wide.

He startled when Severus took hold of his arm and lowered his hand toward his black-clad thigh, quite high near the juncture of femur and hip. Snape held the trembling hand down, curling his own long, stained fingers around Lupin's.

"I assume that you need assistance, at least in the beginning," Severus spoke low and calm, drawing Remus' attention away from the heat beneath his palm. "Most with your disease do in the beginning."

"Disease," Remus murmured, the word curdling in his mouth as he breathed through his nose. He grunted and jerked his head down once in a brief nod.

"I'm going to attempt to coax the transformation the first time by example by a shallow form of magical sharing." The potions master smirked tightly and motioned toward where their hands were pressed alarmingly close to his most private parts. "The carotid artery is one of the largest in the body, next to the jugular vein… and I am loathe to let you wrap your hands around our necks when you feel the pain."

Remus nodded, less intimidated by the intimate touching with a clinical explanation.

"Black," Severus rumbled, eyes hard and chin jutted forward.

Sirius blinked hazily at him and Remus had to wonder how exactly Sirius had known what Severus had wanted when the animagus mimicked Severus' hold and pinned Remus' hand to his own jean-clad leg.

"This is going to sting," Severus murmured before closing his eyes briefly and chanting very softly under his breath.

Remus tensed, waiting for the pain to come but none did and Severus opened his eyes, exhaled a great breath, and—Sirius yelped.

"Hold tight," Severus barked at him as the animagus' fingers flexed as he tried involuntarily to release the object that caused him pain.

Sirius grunted and bit his lip, leaning in toward Remus and digging his fingers into the side of his thigh, trying to rub at the pain of Remus' touch.

"Sirius, I'm sor—"

"Don't apologize," Snape spat. Remus turned toward him and noticed a faint tick beneath the man's right eye; Severus was feeling the same pain. "You should feel a pull in your spine. I need you to concentrate and transform any part of you body."

"Just not your hands," Sirius bleated.

Severus sneered, "Feel free to transform your left hand," the dark wizard hissed. Remus drudged up a faint grin. His left hand was pinned to Sirius' thigh after all.

A slow, thick fog of magic pushed on either side, crawling up his arms and touching in his chest. Severus' magic was cool and fluid, like mercury; Sirius' was warm and bubbling. They traced invisible patterns beneath his skin and Remus stared blankly at the wall in front of him as he felt the two meet above his heart and recoil from each other.

He breathed softly and flexed his fingers into the solidity that grounded him. Even their magic wouldn't touch, he could never ask them both to love him, they could never survive.

As though to refute him with their magic as the two did in their lives, both flowed forward again, touching very carefully before swirling against each other with such force Remus slumped forward as they squeezed the breath from his lungs.

The frenzy slowed and Remus choked on new breath and collapsed forward onto the table, careful to keep his hands where they were.

"Lupin?" Severus croaked.

" 'm okay," Remus muttered. As he lay slumped he felt the new mixture of commingled magic. It was beautiful; warm and cool, churning gently across him in waves that stroked his own magic softly.

"Moony?" Sirius whispered as his hand tightened in worry as Remus remained slumped and unresponsive.

Remus sat upright, turning his face toward Sirius with a lazy half smile. He bent toward the man, gently blowing the long hair from his path and kissed Sirius very softly. The warm magic surged, nearly drowning Severus' with a flood. Remus drew away, breathing through his teeth and turned toward Severus.

The potions master's face was masked very carefully, but Remus could feel the rejection in the slow backflow of Severus' magic. He leaned toward Snape but the man leaned backward. Remus stayed bent, eyes narrow and pleaded very softly. "Please, Severus."

The cool stream of magic paused completely, nearly painful as it remained stagnant. Severus tilted his head very slightly, eyes narrowed in suspicion as he returned to his previous position and let Remus press his warm, slightly chapped lips to his. The potions master remained as stone. Lupin withdrew only far enough to sob softly and press his nose to Severus' jaw. "Please…"

The cool magic moved again as though a dam had been breached. He tipped his head forward, kissing Snape's thin, cool lips and grunted as Severus pressed his back.

The potions master kissed with the same, slow, fluid intensity of his magic.

The flow of cool and warm became a tidal pool. Remus felt his own surge up and wrap them tightly as he leaned backward and plopped back into his seat. His magic squeezed, narrowing the point of their magic down.

Sirius let out a gasp; Severus grunted. They could feel it… Remus found that knowledge immensely pleasing. He didn't have enough time to contemplate it when their trifecta narrowed on its own and flowed down each rib and coiled gently around his spine.

"Now Lupin," Severus demanded.

Remus didn't know what to do, but he didn't know how to voice his problem to Severus.

"Something small," Sirius suggested, wrapping his free hand around Remus' elbow. "Something simple."

Remus nodded dumbly and gritted his teeth as the pressure on his spine increased tenfold.

"We can't stop it now, Lupin, do something!" Severus' thigh quaked beneath Remus' fingers.

His teeth hurt as he pressed them tightly together, the enamel nearly cracking. Remus clenched his eyes shut and threw his head back, feeling the inspiration. Wolves' teeth could take a worse beating than human teeth.

Remus forced his jaw to relax and felt Severus' magic "push" upward and toward the base of his neck. It took a moment but Sirius (or perhaps just his magic) caught up and they dragged Remus' reluctant power with them.

The force of the transformation was sudden and immensely painful. Blood coated Remus' tongue and he felt his jaw crack as thick, new canine's ripped from the bone. He let out a strangled squeal and felt both Sirius and Severus clamp down on him so tightly he felt his bones would bruise.

The pain ebbed and with it he could feel Sirius' and Severus' magic slowly slipping back toward the vessels that contained them. He felt a mild panic as they moved so easily away and didn't realize he was unconsciously pulling them back into him until Severus touched his face.

Remus turned his watery gaze toward the dark wizard, Severus looked grim. "We're right here Lupin, let go."

Confused, Remus flexed his cramping fingers and tried to return his hands to his lap but both Sirius and Severus held him still.

"No, Remus," Severus sighed softly. He closed his eyes and flexed his magic very gently. "Let go here…"

Remus nodded and bent his chin to his chest. He let out a long, shaking breath and felt his own magic release and both Sirius and Snape slipped from him with a whisper.

Severus was the first to release him and Sirius did as well after a time. He flexed his fingers, hissing as pins and needles quaked down them both.

"Are you alright, Moony?" Sirius bent forward, shoving his hair across his shoulder.

Remus nodded slowly and raised his still-tingling fingers to his face. He could feel the press of new teeth in his mouth. He turned his eyes timidly toward Severus and felt himself blush brilliantly under the wizard's gaze. Severus had a very slight, tilted smile on his lips and a softness to his eyes that made Remus want to fold around the man and hug him until he was hexed off.

"Very well done," Severus admitted with a carefully neutral tone. He glanced past Remus to Sirius and averted his gaze again.

Sirius cleared his throat.

Remus glanced between them and wondered what exactly it was he had missed.

"We'll take a break and let your magic calm before we attempt reversion." Severus scooted back, moving away from their cluster now that the necessity for closeness was over.

The potions master stood, drawing his robes close and left the room. Remus and Sirius watched him go unconsciously and heard the bathroom door click shut gently.

"That was…" Sirius shook his head and ran his hands over his face.

"Yea," Remus agreed, running his tongue across his teeth. His jaw ached, throbbing around his entire head and giving him the start to a wonderful migraine. It must have shown to some extent because Sirius smiled apologetically and hugged him with one arm.

"What was… that look about, then?"

Sirius frowned and shook his head, "I don't know what you mean."

"Come on Pads, you and Severus shared this look," Remus motioned toward the doorway with one hand and rubbed at his jaw with the other.

"Oh," Sirius grimaced and bent forward, glancing toward the doorway. "It was nothing."

"Nothing," Remus suppressed a suffering sigh and grinned. "It didn't look like nothing."

Sirius sighed and leaned back in his chair, pushing the hair from his face and rubbing his eyes.

Remus shook his head and let it be. He'd be able to wheedle it out of Sirius later if he tried hard enough.

Severus returned like a wraith through the door. Remus startled and let out a breathy laugh of mild embarrassment. Snape cocked an eyebrow and smirked slightly. His gaze fell on Sirius, and the amusement on his face fell away so quickly Remus was sure he heard it clatter on the floor tile.

Sirius paled and dropped his head to the table.

"What is wrong with the both of you?" Remus muttered.

Severus scowled and turned away, arms crossed tightly over his chest. He hissed slowly through his teeth but didn't elaborate.

Remus turned to Padfoot, but Sirius still had his head buried in his arms laid on the table. "Someone tell me what's going on," Remus sighed heavily and leaned toward Sirius. He lifted a lock of hair and pushed it from the way so that he could at least see part of Sirius' face.

"Come on, Pads..." Remus set his lips against Sirius ear. Sirius shivered and turned his face toward Remus, a smirk crinkling the corner of his eye. Remus resisted an urge to cuddle up against the animagus by mere margins.

Snape snorted from his spot across the table and Remus cast him a humored look.

The potions master didn't move as Remus stood from the table and skirted it, though he did hear Sirius sit up.

Severus shook his robes in mild irritation as Lupin neared. Remus snagged a handful of heavy material and tugged until Snape's arms uncrossed. "Come on, Severus," Remus pouted, running his fingers across the buttons along Snape's chest. The potions master frowned and attempted to step back but Remus took hold of his lapels and held him in place.

"If I'm going to be in this much pain, someone is going to tell me just what has happened between you two." Remus frowned, fingers twitching against the solid heat beneath his fingers. He felt a flare of embers in his stomach as he remembered the flow of chaotic magic and panicked kisses… with both Sirius and Severus.

"I knew there could be temporary connections when we shared the manifest of magic; you would be too preoccupied to tamper with them, but Black," the name was spat and Severus paused to snarl as he curled his fingers over Remus', "had to go poking about."

"I don't understand," Remus rubbed his aching jaw against his shoulder and turned toward Sirius, the animagus grinned briefly with mild embarrassment. Lupin looked back at Severus, looking for clarity.

"I used his magical signature like a road and got into his head," Sirius muttered.

"A severe invasion of privacy!" Severus spat. Remus' eyes widened.

"You couldn't shut him out?" Remus was surprised, Severus was a master at Occlumency, after all.

"Of course not! I had to willingly allow a magical tap between the three of us, if I shut him out I had to disconnect from both of you," Snape growled. Severus' hands flexed around Remus' and the wolf felt an involuntary shiver run up his spine.

"Right," Remus frowned. He looked between Sirius and Severus. Both men were tight lipped and couldn't look at each other. Snape was wound tight and Remus decided to go with his initial instinct and hound Sirius about it later. "So, now what?"

Severus released Remus' hands and pushed him toward the table. "Reversion."

"Just like that?"

"Why not," Severus drawled. "It's not as though you haven't had ample practice."

Remus grunted at that and sat at the table, beckoning Severus to sit. The potions master did not, though he did slide forward until he hovered over Remus' head like a vulture.

Several minutes passed in silence, save for the shuffling of Remus' feet and Sirius' drumming fingertips.

"Today would be good, Lupin," Severus frowned.

"I'm trying!" Lupin huffed, laying his arms on the table and idly withdrawing a margin when his hands brushed against Sirius'. He concentrated for another long moment before a large, jaw-cracking yawn ruined it.

"You will never learn it for yourself if you are talked through it every time," Severus grumbled. Remus winced and dropped his gaze to the tabletop.

Sirius scowled up at the dark figure of the potions master. "You can do it, Moony. Easy as pie i'nnit? Nothing for a clever bloke such as yourself."

Sirius tried not to look pointedly at Snape's hand as it rose from his side and hovered, unsure, over Remus' shoulder. He watched through his swaying hair as Severus mulled it over and the hand descended in robot clicks until it finally rested stiffly on Remus' shoulder.

Moony sagged slightly and leaned backward, head grazing along Snape's hip. Sirius fought a bubble of laughter at the shocked gape that graced Snape's face for the barest of seconds.

"Alright," Remus breathed out softly, speaking mostly to himself. He breathed deeply twice, slowly in… slowly out. In… out…

His jaw unhinged with an audible suctioned pop of cartilage. Sirius winced, Severus flexed his fingers around Remus' shoulder, and Lupin whimpered.

Teeth pulled and pressed, cracking his jaw bone in several places, exploding his head and neck in excruciating pain. Watery blood rolled from his chin to the tabletop in puddles. By the time his face was set to rights he was curled as well as possible in the fetal position in the kitchen chair, clutching Severus' hand and nearly tugging out a chunk of Sirius' hair.

The pain only ebbed so far and soft voices were seeping past the rush of blood pounding in his ears. Remus blinked at Sirius, slowly uncurling his cramped fingers and apologizing weakly to both men.

Sirius rubbed at the sore spot on his scalp and gave him a grimaced grin. "How do you feel?"

"Awful," Remus growled, tenderly probing at his jaw.

"Come along," Severus drawled, standing back and watching with keen eyes as Remus swayed lightly on his feet. He turned sharply on his heel and stalked to the stairs, waiting patiently for Remus to follow.

He did at a slower pace and with a noticeable lean to the left. Sirius, proper dog as he was, followed along obediently as well.

Remus dragged his shoulder along the peeling wallpaper as they mounted the stairs. Nearly to the landing, he stumbled and pin wheeled in panic for a millennia of nanoseconds before strong hands snatched his shirt-front and a solid chest met his back with a grunt.

"Easy," Sirius soothed, helping him gain footing as Severus held him pinned by his jumper.

Remus breathed shallowly, vertigo swept through him as an icy sheet and he bent forward and retched weekly on Severus' boots. Flushed in embarrassment, Remus was dragged up the last few stairs as he mumbled an apology.

"Don't be an idiot," Severus snorted. He caught Remus' regretful gaze on his spattered feet and he forcibly dragged the man further down the hall to gain his attention. "They have tracked through much worse than your blood and bile," he muttered.

Remus scoffed and Snape dragged him to his room. He was exhausted, even his bones ached with fatigue… his bed never looked so welcome. How was it that he had managed to live in dry-rotted shacks, and sleep on tattered mattresses, again?

"Rest, Lupin," Severus pointed a severe finger to the bed. "You need to attempt this all again on your own."

Remus nodded, already pulling his sweater over his head and sliding sideways onto the bed. He hugged a pillow to his chest, rolling to his side to see Severus already retreating.

"Severus!" He blushed and cleared his throat as the potions master stopped and cast him a curious glance. "You'll be here, won't you?"

"That would defeat the purpose of doing it on your own, wouldn't it?" Severus drawled.

Remus nodded, a whirl of panic churning his stomach. Severus cocked his head to the side and regarded him with his dark, penetrating gaze. With a minor hesitation he stepped back into the room, brushing past Sirius, and frowned softly.

"I have a previous engagement tomorrow evening," he muttered, eyes trained on the pillow Remus hugged to himself, "but I will try to return by nine."

Remus smiled, knowing it was giving his insecurities away, and nodded. "I… well, good. Thank you."

"Hnn." Severus smirked and turned, tripping across Sirius as he went. He scowled darkly at the animagus and walked down the hallway.

Sirius grumbled, standing in Remus' doorway and throwing his hands around as he muttered to himself. Remus watched in drowsy amusement as the animagus growled, struck himself in the forehead with his palm and stormed down the stairway.

Sirius managed to catch Snape at the doorway, feeling his mother's eyes on his back from the sickeningly large portrait. "Wait!"

Severus dropped his hand from the knob and turned with a sneer. "What is it now Black? Come to invade more of my privacy? Perhaps I should strip and prostrate myself before you? Would that be enough degradation for you?"

The air crackled and Sirius felt his blood burn as he seethed. "Of course not! I told you I didn't mean—"

"Liar!" Spittle flecked Snape's lips as he whirled and stepped menacingly toward Sirius, his wand hand twitching toward his hip. "You admitted to using my magic like a path… You knew what you were doing!"

"I'm sorry! Alright?! Merlin's balls, Snape, I didn't expect it to be that easy." Sirius refused to back away as Severus advanced one slow, menacing step at a time.

"You could have jeopardized Remus's health," Severus hissed, stabbing his forefinger to the stairwell. Sirius barely recognized the fact that the dark wizard had used Remus' given name, too busy watching where Snape's hands were fluttering.

"I know, I know!" Sirius scrubbed his hands down his face. "But I saw what your father—"

"Don't you dare!" Snape shrieked. His wand hand shot out, tip trembling at Sirius' throat. "Don't you dare speak of him!" Severus coughed out, throat tight and stomach churning.

Sirius pushed the wand away and scrabbled for purchase of Snape's robe front. The potions master slapped his hands away and advanced again, thrusting his chest out and grabbing a fistful of Sirius' hair.

The animagus hissed, hooking his heel into Snape's knee and toppling them both into the wall. Sirius took the brunt of the impact against his back and air squeezed painfully from his lungs while his vision grayed.

Anguish and hate curled Severus' face and Sirius could practically watch the gears in the man's head turn as he brought back his fist and landed it square against his ribs. Sirius hacked, snarled and redoubled his efforts for the upper hand.

The scuffle lasted for a long stretch of minutes until, panting, they were tangled and tumbled to the floor. Severus had one hand still locked painfully in Sirius' hair, the other full of tearing tee shirt and pinned beneath them. Sirius had one leg locked about Snape's thigh, one fist in his lank hair, and the other flexing open and closed, pinned awkwardly as it was between them.

Sirius could still see the pain of memory tearing across Snape's face and flashing bits of the memory he had stolen peeks at earlier flitted around his head in torrid snapshots. In that moment the fight left him and he sagged against the floor, fingers numb in Snape's hair and eyes soft in memory.

"My father," he whispered, stopped, swallowed. Snape's breath was easing, but the hold of his hair and shirt were not lacking. Sirius took several small breaths and forced himself to meet the potions master's eyes. "My father preferred his own hand to his belt when he got very angry. Made him feel bigger… more personal." Sirius shared in broken whispers.

Snape's fingers twitched beneath them and Sirius saw his gaze shutter. As uncomfortable as it was to lay knotted and bruised on the hall floor, Sirius didn't have the heart or strength to untangle himself at the moment. He stared at Snape's thin lips instead… they were much easier to look at than Snape's impassive face.

"I ran when I was sixteen," he muttered, the hand he had clutched Snape's hair with fell and he curled his fingers into Severus' robe instead, seeking strength. "I never set foot here again until this year… I hate it." Sirius choked and clamped his mouth shut quickly, braving a glance to see Snape was staring past his head to the cracked mop-board.

He took the vacant moment to stare hard at Snape's face. His leg was cramping, twisted as it was, but he didn't quite dare move it yet.

Snape took a large, shaking breath, eyes still searching the paneling for answers and wheezed out, "My mother…" he swallowed, flicked his gaze to Sirius and did not continue again.

The animagus breathed carefully, feeling suddenly cleaved open to be examined. Snape's dark gaze was troubled, eyes narrow and lips parted. Sirius felt his stomach clench and he unfurled his leg and stretched, sitting up awkwardly. Snape's hands fell away from him with no resistance.

His stomach churned, burned, and Sirius felt more than he realized he was bending toward the broken man on the floor. He stopped himself just a hair's breadth away from Severus and his eyes widened as he realized what he had been about to do.

Snape, too, seemed to realize at that moment and he jerked back so violently his head struck the wall.

They scrambled apart and stood several paces away from each other, blinking owlishly at each other from afar and gaped stupidly before Snape jerked his robes straight and left the house with a bang.

Sirius ran a hand down his face and repeatedly butted his head against the wall. He'd gone mental, that's what it was… stark raving loony.

He stumbled numbly up the stairs, refusing to assimilate the information in his brain and staggered into Remus' room. He fell onto the bed, startling an ungrateful Moony.

The irritation faded to mute curiosity as Remus took in his dazed expression. "Are you alright? I thought I heard fighting earlier."

"Wha? Yea…" Sirius blinked and focused on Remus face. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

Remus didn't bother to point out that he had been sleeping quite nicely once the fighting downstairs had ceased until a rather rude animagus had dropped roughly onto the bed. "Right." He closed his eyes briefly and opened them to stare at Sirius again. The animagus had a semi-pained, partly revolted look on his face.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yea… fine." Sirius grinned half-heartedly and buried his face into the pillow.

Remus shook his head and rolled over, he really was quite tired.