"I see no ships!"

[Flying Ford Anglia]

No: HPFGUIDX 10310

Ebony said:

<<<But all too often, as we float by on the Sea of Romance, we see a 
confirmed no-shipper clinging to a piece of driftwood, weary of their 
shipless fandom existence.  That's when we on the Love Boat/Destroyer 
H/H throw them a lifeline (usually the first chapter of PoU) and 
reel 'em on up.  Right, Neil?  ;-)>>>

***

It was a chill night, as the vast passenger liner H/H sailed into 
inky blackness.  While thousands of people slept soundly in their 
cabins, Duty Officer Ebony Thomas sat in the Crow's Nest watchfully 
scanning the swelling waters for signs of trouble.  All seemed quiet, 
so she returned to her book, "Snitch Bitch: The Memoirs of a 
Quidditch Queen".

After a few moments, she felt a blast of cold and sudden unease.  She 
glanced up and, from nowhere, there it was, like a vast building of 
opalescent glass.  They were going to hit it for sure: SOLID ICE!

Ebony hurtled down the iron staircase to the deck below, her heart 
pounding.

'Head for the lifeboats!' she screamed, arms akimbo, eyes flashing a 
little too madly.  'Women, children and small, unfashionable models 
of car first!!!'  

On the far side of the ship, Captain Linsenmayer heard the commotion, 
as people began flinging open cabin doors, shouting to each other and 
generally stampeding the deck outside her cabin.  She was in the 
middle of a prenatal deep breathing routine and really didn't 
appreciate the interruption.  Slowly, she eased herself up and opened 
the door.  As she stepped outside, there was a ghastly metallic 
creaking, followed by a deafening crash, as the ship hit the berg.  
The Captain gasped in horror, and clung to the doorpost.  

Meanwhile, down below, able mechanimagus FF Anglia rolled out of his 
housing in the boiler room, and with a flash of his headlamps, 
transformed into a boyishly handsome human form.  He made his way 
to the upper decks, quickly, ignoring the panic around him, and made 
a beeline for the nearest lifeboat.  He sneaked under the tarpaulin, 
shut his ears to the hubbub outside, and waited
.

Three hours later, FF awoke to the sound of distant screams.  He was 
adrift in the lifeboat, and surrounded by a ring of faces, most of 
them sprouting whiskers: three hags, a House-Elf dressed in a flour-
sack and a couple of disgruntled cats.  He looked over the side of 
the boat.  In the distance, the gigantic shape of the H/H was angled 
at a dangerous slant and beginning a slow slide beneath the surface 
of the ocean.  He could just about make out the pregnant silhouette 
of the Captain near the prow, grimly determined to go down with her 
ship. Exhausted, FF fell back into the boat and soon drifted into a 
half-conscious state


Ten hours later still, FF woke up again and all was silent, but for 
the gentle cackling of the hags and the lapping of brine against 
the sides of the boat.  He looked around the starlit waters and felt 
inner calm, but great sadness.  There wasn't a ship in sight.

Neil

(Hmmm. Ships AND fanfic?  I must get that seen to...)