It doesn't matter.
Mrs Weasley sat on the edge of the dance floor, she had been dancing all evening and after a frightening boogie with George she was sat down enjoying a well earned drink. The ceremony had been emotional, George's speech more so and the absence of Fred had been felt when lee Jordan stood up for the best mans speech, opening with 'we know I'm the wrong person to do this but I'll try to as good as I can in Fred's absence'. Angelina looked beautiful and little Victoire had been the perfect flower girl. Alicia spinet, Katie bell and her Ginny had been beautiful bridesmaids and Fleur had been right in suggesting the beach was perfect for the wedding. It had all gone off with out a hitch.
Besides Charlie turning up at last minute claiming a horntail had been misbehaving. At Percy's wedding there had been no date, at Victoire's first birthday no date and at George's engagement party no date, but today he had promised someone was coming to the party, stating they're not really into formal occasions. Molly had cried after hearing this and tried to hug her son asking 'what's her name, how did you meet, is she Romanian?' Charlie had shrugged off the questions and run off to see other family members. All evening she hadn't seen Charlie just a glance here and there but never got a proper look at who he was with.
Now the music turned into a slow dance and George moved from dancing with Ginny to his bride, Harry replaced him whispering in Ginny's ear. Whatever he said amused her and she giggled with a blush. Hermionie and Ron twirled around she was laughing too with out care or worry. Molly smiled. Percy and his muggle wife were dancing as well. Audrey clung to Percy, she still wasn't used to the magical world and the wedding had been a lot to take in.
She remembered the muggle wedding Percy had had to have and how excited Arthur had been by it all. It wasn't great but Percy looked happier than he had in years so that's all that really mattered. Today's had been a full on magical extravaganza and when Molly had spoken to Audrey she had said how it reminded her of the circus. True it hadn't been traditional but it was what they wanted.
Bill was dancing with his daugter lifting her up to try to touch the top of the marque as a heavily pregnant Fleur watched on laughing. She laughed to but then stopped as she spotted them, between the swaying figures of Lee with Katie and Oliver with Alicia was Charlie. His head was bent staring into the eyes of his partner. Said partner had short hair shaved on one side but flopping over the other in lots of multi coloured were clinging to the lapels of his dress robes smiling up at him wearing tight dragon hide trousers, a blue sparkling vest and a long brown dress jacket with heavy looking boots. Just then Arthur came over.
"Molly, what's wrong?" She hadn't realised the frown that had grown across her forehead as she'd been watching her son dance with the stranger.
"Who's that?" She indicated to the couple. Arthur smiled.
"Doesn't he look happy."
"Arthur."
"Oh sorry you haven't met them, that's Ray, Charlie's significant other. Lovely, works with him in Romania, fascinating you know I wasn't sure if they were a boy or a girl, and it would turn out they're neither, well they are but they don't identify as either." Molly looked confused.
"So what are they." She said staring at her son and his partner, she saw now they to had scares similar to Charlie's, one seemed to snake down from behind their ear to the front of their top. She then noticed the two small mounds on their chest they were defiantly female.
"It doesn't matter Molly, they chose to be neither." Arthur was grinning at the sight then noticed his wife's expression. "He looks so happy Molly."
Across the dance floor
"She still staring at us you know." Ray said quietly to Charlie.
"And let her stare. I don't care what anyone thinks, I'm here with you." Ray grinned and poked Charlie in the chest.
"Is this Charlie Weasley not caring what someone thinks?" She said laughing.
"Yes, yes it is, I've been hiding you too long I don't want to anymore. I love you and I want them to too." Ray bit down on their lip then trying to hide a stupid smile. Charlie just bent his neck further and kissed them. It was a lingering kiss full of love not lust, it was pure affection, devotion and still as gentle as a butterfly and soft as silk, Ray kissed him back, they didn't need anything more, kisses and cuddles were worth more to them than actual sex ever would be. And Ray knew how lucky they were to have found Charlie.
"Wow, in public and every thing," Ray laughed after they broke apart.
"Hey it's a wedding, everyone kisses at weddings," he blushed non the less and then took a deep breath, "I'm gonna have to go over aren't I?"
"Yes."
"And explain every thing?"
"Yes."
"And the rest to both of them."
"Probably."
"They are gonna be so disappointed." Charlie's face fell and he exhaled sharply.
"Bill wasn't." Ray tried their eyes saddening at his expression.
"Bills different. Mum will think I'm broken, she'll blame her self." He said a dark mist falling over him. Ray had experienced it before, the self loathing he got with himself, desperately trying to be who his family wanted him to be, terrified of letting them down, covering up his former lack of relationship with 'but dragons mum.' And then Ray had come along and he now knew it wasn't just him, that not wanting sex was okay, that it wasn't everything in a relationship. Ray was further down the road to self acceptance than he was, and so at every occasion where he'd been offered a plus one and said he'd take them, Ray had been apprehensive and then understanding when he'd chickened out. This time he hadn't, a visit from Bill had sorted him out but not indefinitely
"Hey, look at me," Ray laced a hand around his neck and tilted his face to look at them, "If you're broken so am I," Charlie smiled pressing there foreheads together, Ray closed their eyes and breathed in Charlie's scent. "I love you." Ray muttered and Charlie kissed their forehead and intwined their fingers as he started walking towards his mother and farther.
"Mum, meet Ray, Ray meet mum." He pushed Ray slightly towards his mother. Awkwardly ringing his hands awaiting a reaction.
"Hi Ray, Arthur's told me about you," it was hard for either of them to tell what Molly was thinking.
"All good I hope, nice to finally meet you Mrs Weasley." Mrs Weasley expression did not alter.
"Arthur tells me you're not a boy or a girl, but you are a girl," she said confused and Ray chuckled. Charlie looked surprised he hadn't been able to tell when he'd first met Ray it was only after they talked and she'd explained that Charlie had found out.
"How did you tell."
"It's the boobs dear." Ray said in a fake whisper and Mrs Weasley actually cracked a smile.
"But you see Mrs Weasley physically I'm female, but in my head I am neither, I'm non binary."
"Fascinating." Mr Weasley said cause Charlie to relax slightly.
"I'm sorry I don't mean to be rude but surely you just are one or the other," Mrs Weasley now looked genuinely concerned about the state of Rays mind.
"Mum, please,"
"No it's alright Charlie," Ray put a hand up to silence Charlie, " you needed apologise, m'am I've had worse things said to me, my dad kicked me out when I told him." Mrs Weasley's face softened at hearing this.
"I'm sorry dear, it's just when i imagined Charlie bringing a girl back here I always imagined they'd be-"
"Normal," Ray asked eyebrows raised. Mrs Weasley didn't respond instead she just hung her head.
"Ray is normal, what do you want, another Fleur, or Audrey, Angelina, Hermione or would you have settled for a boy like Harry," Charlie snapped "they're all different, so's my Ray." Molly looked hurt by the comment and looked up at Ray.
"I just wasn't expecting someone like you." Ray smiled.
"I don't think anyone does really. But I love Charlie,"
"I think I can get used to that." Molly said slowly smiling, she indicated for Ray to sit down. Charlie breathed out and smiled as Ray started answering questions about how they met and what they do. He knew he should admit more but right now she knew enough, if his mum would get used to Ray maybe she would get used to his asexuality. Maybe but for now this was enough.
- Ariadne Silver-Rose