Black was sharp, Alastor would give him that. Perhaps even more jaded than he was himself, which was somewhat depressing to see in one so young. But, he had a feeling this young man saw a lot more than many were going to give him credit for in the Order. Perhaps they ought to see if they could find something useful to put that mind to other than research into the Mark. Marlene may believe forging friendships was the way to tie someone to them. Alastor believed finding the right tasks and making someone feel as if they had a stake in the outcome of the work could have the same effect as well. Perhaps he should have a conversation about that with the others... "There is always going to be a chain of command. As long as he's alive, Dumbledore is at the top of ours. The three of us are the next rung down on that ladder. Our word has more weight than you may think. But, I don't expect you to take my word for it. I'll settle for the opportunity to prove it to you, instead."
Shaking his head, he couldn't help but laugh roughly at the young man's assessment of Marlene. "Yes, I know which look you mean. I've been seeing it since we were eleven years old. But, she truly does mean well, despite thinking we're a bunch of dumb males. But, no, this isn't what she means. She would like to see you have friends in the Order for emotional support, so you would have someone to turn to if something happened to Lupin and vice versa. So that people would be as understanding with you as they would be Lupin's son or your brother and their friends."
Alastor sighed. He'd suspected as much about the horcrux. "But, to be bluntly honest, you're likely more at risk right now than he is. Between Voldemort and Greyback, you could end up being a highly wanted young man if any of this comes out. Should Voldemort realise what you know, he might use Lupin to lure you out, but you'll be the one he wants dead more if it comes down to it. Greyback, I remember what he did to Lupin's family and if Lupin was correct in his assumptions back then, you'll be a target long before he is. I'll let McKinnon worry about your emotional health. I'm more concerned with keeping you boys alive.
"Conjecture without proof makes for a lousy investigation. But, in this case, I'd agree with you. 'Missing, presumed dead.' That was how it was officially listed in the division. There was no trace of you found and nothing to indicate the cave existed, let alone that we should look for you there. Regardless, we need to be concerned about now and how to keep him from finding out about your actions in the first place, protecting you if he does. I won't ask if you've taken steps to protect wherever you're living -- and I don't want to know where, despite likely being able to guess. I trained Lupin, so I can guess what he would suggest and you seem smart enough to me to have thought of it on your own, in any case. Most everyone who does know the truth is as protected as they can get in the same manner for the moment. So, I think the chances of him finding out are slim for the moment. But, if that changes, I will let you know and if you think it's changed, you can come to me rather than Dumbledore if it would make you more comfortable."
Of course, he suspected Snape or Potter would hear before he did if Black felt he needed to call in reinforcements on anything.