Charlie might have been stubborn, but he had always hated conflict. More than anything, he hated hurting his loved ones' feelings. And, when it came to the people he loved, his family always came top of the list. As for Artemis, she was right at the very top. If resolving a conflict with her meant engaging in one with his mother, he'd do it. He didn't want to do it, but he'd do it.

Artemis had been avoiding him all evening. At first, he had tried getting the enchanted gramophone to play her favourite Muggle music in an attempt to cheer her up, but she had stubbornly refused to dance. Then, one of his aunts had berated him about the lack of Celestina Warbeck, and so he had changed the music to please her. That might have been a mistake, because after that, Artemis got up and left the party completely.

He knew better than to follow until he'd resolved what was bothering her, and the next time he saw her, she was returning to the tent with his brother George. The two of them had immediately descended on both the drinks table and the headmistress of their old school, to whom they were now offering shots of Firewhiskey.

Charlie watched them, half-smiling, from a few metres away, making no effort to be subtle about it. Artemis might have been in a bad mood with him, but she was at least having fun now. George, too. It was good to see George having fun tonight.

Charlie's calm observations were disturbed as he noticed his mother making her way towards the table where Artemis was now pouring herself a shot, having given her first one to Professor McGonagall. Mrs Weasley had a stern, disapproving look on her face. He felt his heart plummet as he realised that he was going to have to intercept her.

"Mum," he said, catching hold of her arm. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Well," his mum glanced over her shoulder at Artemis, "I was hoping to have a quick word with Artemis about something."

"Yeah, I know. That's what I want to talk to you about. Artemis."

Charlie's mother turned to face him, her reproachful expression becoming hopeful.

"Have the two of you had a chance to speak yet?" she asked him.

"Yeah, we have. Look, can we go outside or something? Please?

"Of course, dear."

Charlie and Molly walked out of the marquee, and stopped just outside of it. Charlie sighed, not really sure what or how he was going to say what he needed to say to his mother.

"Right. Er, so..."

The next thing Charlie knew, his face had been grasped by his mother's hands pressing against his cheeks.

"Charlie," she said, shaking her head slightly, and tears welling in her eyes as she looked up at him. "Charlie, Charlie. I have never been so angry and so happy at the same time in my life. I'm not sure whether I should hit you or hug you right now."

"Maybe don't do either." Charlie took hold of his mother's wrists and pulled her hands from his face. "Look, Mum. I really need to talk to you about all of this."

His mother clasped her hands to her heart and smiled at him.

"Of course, Charlie. I know this is a lot to take in, and it's scary, and—"

"Mum."

"— overwhelming. Your father and I were the same when we found out that we were going to have Bill, but—"

"Mum."

"— as nervous as I know you're feeling right now, it really is going to be okay. You—"

"Mother."

"— have all of us to support you, after all. We are here for you."

"Great, thanks. Mum."

"Yes, Charlie?"

"I think there's been a bit of confusion."

"What do you mean, dear?"

"I think you've gotten the wrong end of the stick." Charlie shook his head. "Artemis isn't going to have a baby."

"Oh," Molly Weasley frowned deeply. "You mean, she doesn't want..."

"She isn't pregnant, Mum."

Mrs Weasley's brown eyes flicked as she thought about what her son was saying.

"But I spoke to her earlier and she didn't tell me that she wasn't."

"She might have not been able to get a word in edgeways."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all," Charlie said quickly, seeing the offended look on his mother's face. "I just mean... From what Artie said, she felt like she wasn't being listened to."

"I can't listen to her if she doesn't tell me anything!"

"I know, but I think she was trying to tell you and just... I don't know, Mum, but whatever you said has really upset her, I think. I think."

"All I said was that I was happy for you both, and that I wanted to help," Molly told him. She was already looking like she might cry. Charlie rubbed his temple with his hand. "I don't know why she'd be upset by that, unless..."

Charlie looked at her through his fingers.

"Unless what?"

"Unless she really is pregnant," Molly said. Charlie opened his mouth to protest, but she had already carried on. "It would make sense. I mean, you can't pretend that you've not noticed her breasts, Charlie, you've been gawking at them all day. Honestly, and you're supposed to be the subtle one..."

"Mum."

"And there's the mood swings, of course, though she has always been a little temperamental, hasn't she?"

"Mum!"

"Not to mention the nausea, which—"

"MUM!"

Charlie couldn't remember the last time he'd raised his voice at anyone like that. He definitely had never raised his voice at his mother like that. Molly stared at him in stunned silence, and he ran his hands through his hair.

"This is... This is what I mean, Mum. You don't... You won't listen. You didn't listen to Artemis, and you're not listening to me. Please, just listen."

His mother pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows at him. She was angry. She was really angry. He shouldn't have shouted at her.

"Well," she said in a dangerous tone that he remembered from his childhood, "I'm all ears now, Charles."

"Oh, no. I don't mean... I'm sorry."

"No, go on. You want me to listen, why don't you say what you want to say?"

Charlie took a deep breath. This was it.

"Alright. So, Artemis is not pregnant. We are not getting married. And..." he paused. What was the third thing he was meant to say? Oh. Yeah. That. He couldn't say that. He decided to rephrase Artemis' words. "And I think she'd like you to let her be."

"Be what?"

"Just be, you know. Leave her alone."

"Did she ask you to say that?"

"Yes, she did."

"Why?" Molly frowned. "Why didn't she say it herself?"

"Well, she didn't think you were listening before. And I think you might have touched a nerve or something. She was really angry, and... I don't think she could without losing her temper. And..." Charlie swallowed. He was going to have to tell her. "Well, it's kind of my fault that you got the wrong idea. Kind of. I might have made up the whole vomiting thing."

"You might have made it up? Or you did make it up?"

"I did make it up. I made it up."

"Why would you make that up?" Mrs Weasley asked, her eyebrows now completely knitted together.

"Because, I..." Charlie quickly tried to think of an excuse. "I thought she needed a moment with just the two of us. I think that Artemis might be finding today quite difficult. There's all this focus on family, and we've got all these relatives around, and Artemis... All day she's been surrounded by everything she missed out on for most of her life, because she's never had that, has she? She just has us, and we are all going on about our family and I feel like she worries sometimes that she isn't included when we say that word."

As soon as he'd said the words out loud, Charlie realised that he wasn't even lying. Of course he wasn't lying. He should have known from the moment she placed her hand on his knee under that table that there was something wrong. She was a nightmare most of the time, but she only really acted up if she was preoccupied. And he hadn't been there for her. Not properly.

"I think that's why she overreacted. She's just... overwhelmed," Charlie sighed. "I know you were trying to be kind, Mum, but you made it worse. It's not your fault. It's mine. But, please, just don't mention the baby thing to her again? Okay?"

Charlie looked at his mother with pleading eyes. She nodded, but didn't stop frowning.

"Of course, dear," she said slowly. Charlie opened his mouth to thank her, but she continued, "But, Charlie, perhaps you ought to mention it to her?"

"What?"

"Well, don't you think it's about time that the two of you started planning for the future? After all, you are thirty—"

"Thirty and we've been together for a few years." Charlie shook his head. "You said that to Artemis as well, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did," Molly replied, and Charlie groaned. "Well, it's not the worst thing to say to your son's girlfriend. Surely, the two of you do want to settle down and start a family?"

"I don't know, Mum. We're pretty happy as we are at the moment."

"At the moment, yes, but what about in a year? Five years? Ten years? Don't you ever want to have children?"

"I... Maybe, yeah. One day. But not right now!"

"I'm not talking about right now, Charlie, that's the point. And what about Artemis?"

"What about her?"

"Does she want to have children?"

"Again, not right now."

"Does she ever want to have children?"

Charlie shrugged. He didn't know. He had never dared to ask. His mother sighed, and looked at him with concern in her brown eyes.

"Have you ever even spoken to Artemis about what she wants from your relationship in the long term?" she asked. Charlie shook his head again. "You should."

"No. No, I don't need to."

"Yes, you do," said Molly, her face earnest. "You need to know that you both are on the same page about this, because if you aren't—"

"Mum, don't."

"Charles Weasley, you asked me to listen. I listened to you, and now you need to listen to me. I know you don't want to hear this, but I am saying it because I care about you. You and Artemis. I don't want to see either of you getting hurt when you realise that you don't want the same things."

"I don't want any things," Charlie said, his body growing tense. "I just want her. I love her. And she loves me."

"That's not enough."

"It is."

"Charlie, what are you scared of?" his mother asked him. "It's just a conversation."

"Yeah, well. The last time someone tried to have that conversation with her, she broke up with him and left the country the next day," he muttered. He screwed his eyes shut and placed the fingers of one hand to his forehead. "I dunno. I don't want to argue with her or scare her away."

His mother took hold of his wrist and pulled his hand away from his face. She placed her other hand on his cheek.

"You won't scare her away," she told him.

"I might."

"No. That woman is not scared of anything. Least of all, you. Talk to her. Find out what she wants."

Charlie laughed, even though none of this was funny.

"I don't even know what I want," he said, honestly. "I don't think she does, either."

"Well, if you do want to get married, we already have a marquee," replied Molly, smiling at him.

"Mum, no."

"That was a joke, Charlie. Though she would be a beautiful bride, wouldn't she?"

"I know she would, but you can't do that. Make comments and jokes like that. Definitely not before I've spoken to Artemis."

"You will speak to her, then?"

"I will. You're right, we need to discuss these things and decide what we want from the future. From one another," Charlie said, and he straightened up, and took his hand back from his mother. "But, Mum, that is our discussion to have, and our decision to make. Not yours. You know that I appreciate your support and your advice, we both do, but this is something Artemis and I need to do together. Just us. We'll work it out, we always do. But until we do, you just need to... to back off."

There. He said it. He'd actually said it. And now he regretted it, because his mother had pressed a hand to her mouth, and her eyes had filled with tears.

"Oh, Mum. No, please don't be upset. I'm sorry, I don't mean it nastily, I just—"

"It's okay, Charlie, I'm not... I'm not upset with you. It's just that... Well, today I've realised that all my children have grown up. You've all got lives of your own, and you're not children anymore."

"We're still your children."

"I know that, dear. I just feel like you don't need me now."

"What are you on about, Mother?" Charlie shook his head. "Of course we need you!"

"Not in the same way. You're all... You've become your own people." Molly smiled as a tear rolled down her cheek. "And you're such wonderful, good people. And I'm... I'm so proud of you. Of all of you."

"I know you are."

"How did I get to be so lucky?"

"You didn't," Charlie said. He wrapped his arms around his mother, and pulled her into a hug. "You just did a really good job at being our mum."

"Thank you, dear."

"No, Mum. Thank you."

And with that, Charlie kissed his mother on the cheek and left her, walking away from the first woman he'd ever loved and towards the last woman he'd ever love.