Laughter Lost.

Found this little piece of a fic in my files…

Not sure where I was going, but I found it touching, hope you like it.

The class was deathly quiet when James walked into the room that afternoon.  He took a shivering breath, trying to stop the tears that were stinging his eyes.  James slouched into a seat beside Remus, who had his head in his hands.  Girls were crying, hugging each other, and a few Hufflepuff boys with whom they shared this transfiguration class with sat in the back of the room, staring blankly at the window.  Professor McGonagall stood up in front of the class, her eyes full of tears.  She blew her nose, and spoke. 

          "I…I don't know what you want to do today.  If you just want to sit around, it's okay.  Feel free to…go outside…wherever you'd like."  She paused, sniffed, and most of the class began to leave.  The room had a sickening, deathlike atmosphere to it, and they could not stand it. 

          James hated seeing everyone upset.  It made him feel even worse.  Not that he could feel much worse.  His friend—his best friend, Sirius, was dead.

          And nothing could bring him back.

Sirius's empty desk sat ominously on the floor, where their laughing, lighthearted friend had once botched so many transfigurations.  Laughter they would never hear again.

          James put a hand on Remus's shoulder, but this only set Remus off.  He burst into silent tears, clutching his hair. 

          "Hey—Remus—don't—"  James said quietly.  It scared him to see Remus like this—he was one of the bravest among them.  He never cried.  "Oh God, don't do this to me, Remus…"  James said.  He felt his voice catch in his throat and his eyes begin to burn, and he could not fight it.  Remus looked up at James, red-eyed.  He shook his head slowly.

          "It isn't fair, is it?"  He tried to smile.  Remus laughed, but this only made him cry even harder.  James was crying too.

          "Life isn't fair."

          Then the two of them threw their arms around each other.  No, it didn't matter that they were two sixteen-year-old boys crying like children in front of the class.  Nothing mattered to them any more.