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How can water molecules be dipolar?

 

Greetings! I am relatively new to Chemistry and the natural sciences overall, and have a question regarding molecules vs ions.

To   my understanding, molecules are always neutral as they are not the   compound of two charged atoms (+ or -), but rather the fusion of two   neutral atoms. Ions, however, are the other way around, and the more   ions you add (polyatomic ions), it will flip between being neutral or   charged. But, how then, can water (H2O) be dipolar? Perhaps I have   understood the concept of polarity wrong. If the molecules are neutral   as neither the Hydrogen or Oxygen atoms are charged, how can the   water-molecule have two sides? Or is it for this very reason that it has   two sides, simply because it is the fusion of two neutral atoms?

On  a  similar topic, I must also ask the difference between ionic bonding  and  molecular formation ... The ions, of course, attract other charged   atoms (other ions), because the valence-electrons wish to jump over to   differently charged ions since atoms strive to have a full outer shell.   But, molecules do not do this, do they? How are they different? Are  they  simply the combination of two atoms, in which the electrons do not   leave their respective atoms, but rather join together in an "orbital   fusion" in which they can travel freely (until broken up)? This would   make sense since they are not charged, and therefore have no attraction   to leave their own atoms for opposing ones.

I am very thankful for answers! Good day :)
gpt
There's two parts to the answer. First, the molecule is H-O-H as you say. In the simplistic picture of chemical bonds, each hydrogen shares its electron with one from the oxygen to make the bond. But the sharing isn't equal, the  oxygen has eight positively charged  protons against the hydrogen's one. So the negative electrons get more attracted to the oxygen so that has a small negative excess and the hydrogens a small positive one. Like this:-

H^d+ - O^d- - H^d+

So far so good. But the molecule isn't linear, its bent at an angle of 104.5 degrees like a wide V. So the tips of the V have the positive charges and the apex the negative one. So there's a charge dipole running vertically (as drawn like a V) from apex to tip.