Snape smirked. "My mistake," he replied easily, enjoying the bit of underhanded teasing of Moody about his age - as though the man was really old enough to have had Dippet as a Headmaster.
All traces of amusement faded from Snape's manner as Moody continued to speak. Moody's response to Snape's misgivings about James wasn't a surprise, but it was a potential threat to their success, and Snape had to intervene. "When to approach him, and even more importantly, how. You and I understand chain of command. James does not. He is in a state of rebellion against his father. If he sees you as Harry's puppet, he will never trust you. You must convince him that you are your own man, that you're not following Harry's orders.
And I do hope you grasp how critical it is that the Order is not merely Harry Potter's fan club. The man has quite enough power already." Much more than enough, Snape's cynical nature added silently.