fandomhigh | Fandom High Welcome Picnic, Front Lawn of the School, All Day: Part I

With all the rain the island had seen during the week, everyone had been hoping for a sudden turn to nice weather for the welcome picnic. But as the crew from the school started to set up for the picnic, the sky got darker and darker, and by the time everything was ready, it had started to steadily rain. As tempting as it was to move everything inside, there just wasn't anywhere in the school for so many people to gather at once, and since it was still comfortably warm outside, extra measures were taken to ensure that the picnic could go on as scheduled. Tents were set up to cover the information tables, the food, and most of the tables and chairs, and umbrellas had been gathered, ready for use by anyone who wanted more personal protection against the weather. It didn't look like the rain would be letting up any time soon.

[OCD is up! This is part one of the picnic, specifically for meeting siblings, roommates, and teachers. The rest of the picnic is happening here and here, in an effort to keep browsers from breaking for as long as possible. Since it's outside, the picnic is open to all students, teachers, and townies!]

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"So you would say that there isn't an element of trickery to social activism?" he inquired pleasantly. "Someone with a handle on both could be pretty powerful."

A pretty powerful future inmate, Neal.

"There shouldn't be," she insisted. "Because it either means anyone using trickery to do something good is scamming people, which is wrong, or it means they'll probably end up using whatever their cause is for their own personal gain, and that is not only detestable but goes against the entire point of social activism."

Soapbox, meet Hermione. Hermione... well, you already know soapbox.

"Or," Neal pointed out, in the tone of someone who is well-accustomed to giving other people little lightbulb moments, "a social activist could use creative measures to gain information on a cause he or she was fighting against."

Yes, Hermione, that extra "or she" in there was just for you. And soapbox.

There wasn't exactly a lightbulb moment, but she did fold her arms and ask, "Creative measures such as? Do you have examples?"

No, but he'd always thought fast.

"Well, let's say you heard about some scheme someone was running," Neal theorized. "You could sit around wishing you knew enough to stop it, or you could go in and pretend to be on their side for long enough to shut it down."

That was the name of the game when he worked with Peter, anyhow.

She'd sort of done that. "All right, fine, but I'd call that less trickery and more... infiltration," she said. "And it doesn't have much to do with what I'll be teaching anyway."

Aaaaand Neal was right back to being smug. Thanks, Hermione.

"Oh?" he asked curiously. "My mistake. What sort of activism will you be teaching?"

"Completely legal ways to bring about some kind of change that don't end in people getting into any kind of trouble whatsoever," she answered. Okay, there was one class that might toe the line a little bit but she already had the disclaimers for it mapped out in her head.

This time Neal did snicker, but only for a second before he schooled his expression into something more neutral, though still amused.

"Is that so," he said neutrally. "So... easy change, then."

At this rate Hermione was going to end up dating Soapbox. Sorry, Ron.

"There's nothing easy about it!" Hermione said, maybe a little more loudly than she intended. "I've been campaigning for the rights of house elves for years, and it's been a challenge, because people don't understand that they need our help or what they can do for them, or they think that just because they're young, they can't do anything." Actually, it was because house elves didn't want to be helped, but Hermione was too stubborn to listen to that. "And aside from that I've been involved in bringing about change that was really not easy, so I think I know what I'm talking about."

Neal was apparently just getting all the rants today!

...Uh-huh. So the flirting-with-her ship had sailed, then, huh?

"I'm sure you do," Neal said, reaching over to clap her on the shoulder. "I must be mistaken. My sincerest apologies."

Which was probably true, even though they were only about 4% sincere.

She frowned at the shoulder clap, but realized that maybe she was just a wee bit high-strung at the moment.

"Anyway, where there any questions you had about molding young minds?" she asked, trying to be polite again.

Neal laughed and bent down to tie his shoe, inadvertently exposing his ankle tracker in the process. He pretended not to notice and quickly pulled his pant leg down over it. "No, I think I'm okay on that point," he assured her. "But thank you! You've been really helpful, ah... Hermione, was it?"

Of course she spotted the ankle tracker, which just made her feel a little more vindicated. "That was it," she said. "I'll be sure to check in, and make sure you're doing all right."

And that he had maybe not corrupted anyone.

He doubted he'd need it, but maybe he could think of a way in which her help would be useful.

"Thanks," he said, smiling. "I'll let you know if I need any help with the, ah... young minds."

Which he wouldn't, thank you very much. Neal Caffrey was competent.

Fandom High Welcome Picnic, Front Lawn of the School, All Day: Part I

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