He'll answer all sorts of questions about the castle, if Martel would prefer it to baring his soul - Severus is not exactly the best at emotional comfort, but he can appreciate the brittle moments that men have, here and there.

"Your people are not numerous here," he supplies, almost a question. Severus himself has become somewhat used to the coming and going of various wizards and people he doesn't want anything to do with, but he guesses that Martel has not.