"Next time, don't put so much eggnog in the whiskey, ok?"

Irina laughed and waved as she descended the two stone stairs from the bar.  It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the dim, foggy light of the early morning, and she had to squint to see the time on her watch.  

"Mother Mary, it's nearly three in the morning."

With a sigh and a slight wobble, Irina pulled her coat tightly around her and fumbled with her gloves.  Fortunately, she wasn't on tomorrow.  Grav and the higher-ups were going to be out of town, and Irina had more than met her quota of work and tributes for the week.  A little holiday celebration was not out of order tonight, and it had been a while since she'd gotten all dolled up and gone out.  She wore a green dress that lightly teased the tops of her calves.  In her seamed stockings and modest black pumps, she danced, sang, and enjoyed more than a few festive spirits.  

About two blocks away from the bar, Irina realized that she had no idea where she was.  Stopping at a crosswalk, she looked around and tried to get her bearings.  The cold wind chilled her thoroughly, but did little to help her gin-soaked senses.  Finally, she spied a building that seemed familiar.  She crossed the barren, snow flocked streets and began up the ally along side the building.  

"Ssshhhh, someone's coming."

Irina gave a start, not having expected to hear voices in the alley.  She slowed her gait and reached into her bag for her revolver- only to realize that she'd left it at home.  The original plan was to leave the party at a decent hour and take a cab home.  Now, with no cab in sight and no gun at hand, she would have to rely on muddled senses to get her home sans any bullet holes.  Walking into a seemingly shady deal in an alley was not the best way to ensure this.  So, she squared her shoulders, held her gloved hands together and turned around to walk to the other side of the block to make her way around.  Just as she rounded the corner at the mouth of the alley, she heard three shots fire from the alley.  Next, the sound of footsteps running her way came close and quick.  There were no doors to duck into, no cars.  She turned around, just in time to see two figures run from the alley not 500 feet away from her.  She met eyes with one of them, and immediately turned around again.  Against her better judgement, she decided to run.  Her heels clacked as she took off in the other direction.  A voice barked behind her.

"Grab her!"

Trying to quicken her pace, she only managed to stumble over her feet and trip.  She felt the sleeve of her coat rip as she tumbled to the cold ground.  Irina scrambled to get to her feet, but not before she felt a pair of large hands grab her and pull her up.

Hermione was pounding the streets looking for Irina. She hadn't come home last night. There were other members of her crew for whom this would be of no - Gravity could be passed out in any local pub, CatBug was a known cuddle trollop, and lord  knows AmyPond was always only seconds away from disappearing into a Police Box with some strange man. But Irina, well. She should have come home.

Turning down an alley Hermione caught the glint of something shining in the street before the curb at the intersection with the next block. She ran forward and dug the object out of the snow.

It was Irina's compact. There was no mistaking it. She traced  her finger over the ornate carvings in the silver and shivered as much from fear as the cold. Irina would never leave this behind, no matter   how much she'd had to drink. Hermione had seen her make drivers wait while Irina searched for it after forgetting to put it in her bag before going out.

This was a terrible sign.

She rose up quickly as an idea struck her, given the importance of this object to  Irina, it may  work as a locator should she create a tracking spell with it.

She ran off in search of the supplies she'd need for her potion. There was a store that just might have what she needed. 

A sign caught her attention as she ran  past the store wearing it and she quickly halted and ran back to the store. 

She flagged  down the attendant using the bossiest tone she could muster (which given that this is Hermione was pretty horrifyingly bossy) and demanded he send her telegram with the utmost urgency.

Something has happened to Irina. STOP

I have found her compact abandoned on the street. STOP

Clearly she is in immediate danger. STOP

I am endeavoring to track her down as you read this. STOP

Please send help. STOP

-H

 Tossing a final threat to turn the shop boy into a newt should there be any delay in her message, she ran out of the shop and off in search of her needed supplies.

"For the last time, I didn't see anything.  I was walking home, I heard some voices, so I turned around and headed the other way."

Irina eyed the man seated across from her in the back of the car.

"I heard gunshots, I ran- just like any smart person would do at the sound of gunshots."

There were a few moments of silence, then the driver looked back over his shoulder and gave her a long, critical glance.

"What's a broad like you doing out alone at a time like this anyway?"

"I was at a party- that's all.  Just...a holiday party."

Another one of the three in the car piped up.

"I ain't never seen a woman so calm getting grabbed off the streets like that.  Where'd you get that smart mouth?"

Irina did not, at all, like the way this guy was looking at her.  She'd seen that look before.  Rough mob guy, worked too much and only ever paid for sex.  Shuddering, she started to answer, then the driver broke in again, looking at her from the rear-view mirror.

"Wait a second, I know her.  I seen her around the Old District hanging around with the Weeping Angel."

"You mean, one of Gravity's?"  The creepy one's look hardened a bit as he glared at her.  Irina suddenly realized two things.  One, these guys were small-time, probably not even connected.  Two, they had just gotten in way over their heads, and they'd just become keenly aware of it.