Remus Lupin couldn't sleep. He was tossing and turning in bed, unable to get comfortable. He wasn't even tired, despite not having slept at all the night before.

He'd spent the last two hours flipping over his pillow and trying to get to sleep, and was bored nearly to death. He'd considered reading his book, but he didn't want to wake up the others by lighting up his wand, so he'd just been lying there since midnight, when his last roommate had drifted off. He let out a defeated sigh and rolled over again onto his back so he could stare at the burn marks on the ceiling from when Sirius had been practicing a trick to impress some girl. Remus smiled at the memory and closed his eyes.

He groaned in frustration after five minutes of meditation and threw back the covers. He was sick of waiting for sleep. Unsure of what he was doing, he got out of bed and pulled on his shoes, then silently crept out of his room, glancing quickly at his friends to make sure they were still asleep.

Remus simply explored the forgotten corridors of Hogwarts, enjoying the silence. It was completely different at night than during the day; there were no students laughing, no teachers yelling, no portraits complaining… even Peeves seemed to be away. He had the castle all to himself.

Soon, he realized he was lost. He thought he knew Hogwarts better than the back of his hand, but here he was, lost on a floor he didn't recognize. He wished he'd brought the map with him, but it was too late now. He hesitantly brought out his wand and whispered Lumos. A bright light shot out of the tip of his wand, bouncing straight back at him. Blinded, he pointed his wand at the floor and waited for the spots in his eyes to fade. When they did, he found himself standing in front of a tall mirror.

It was very old, clearly, and had an elaborate molding around the edges. At the top Remus could just make out a bunch of Latin inscriptions, and then ERISED carved in big letters at the top. Curious, he stepped forward and ran his fingers along the cold metal trim. He tried not to pay very much attention to what he saw in the mirror; he knew that he looked tired, as always, and was purposefully keeping his gaze from straying towards his reflection. But when he backed away to take it all in, he was forced to see himself.

Remus was surprised by what he saw. He wasn't weary or ragged like he usually was, but full of energy and smiling confidently, laughing at the moon. Seeing the moon completely full instantly sent chills down his back, even though he knew it wasn't tonight, but his reflection didn't seem to be bothered by it at all. In fact, his mirror self seemed to be mocking it, the same way Sirius and James mock their professors.

The real Remus stared in the mirror, wondering. It was clear that it showed him what he wanted to see. There he was, smiling, energetic and unafraid of what came without fail every month. It was his dearest wish.

He sat down on the cold floor and watched the boy in the mirror until he finally fell asleep, dreaming of the life he could have had if he hadn't been bitten. The lump in his throat and the stinging in his eyes had gone away, and he slept peacefully for hours before waking up in his bed.

A/N: Remus Lupin is one of my favorite characters, and I thought he deserved a oneshot. In this story, he could be any age from eleven to fifteen; it's up to you. Oh, and please review! It would mean a lot to me, knowing that the stuff I post actually gets read. Have a good morning/day/afternoon/evening/night! - SK